Last night we watched the movie - STATE OF PLAY starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Helen Mirren. Other notable cast members were Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, and Jeff Daniels.
This production was released back in 2009 and is available on Netflix & Amazon Prime. It may also be available on Hulu.
In this thriller/drama a veteran journalist played by Russell Crowe teams up with a young reporter played by Rachel McAdams. The main plot of the movie concerns Crowe’s attempt to cut through a web of lies surrounding the suspicious death of a woman with ties to a congressman.
In the beginning, it seems that Crowe is playing himself but his performance quickly morphs into something very entertaining. Affleck gives a great performance with the depth needed to play a likable character who seems to have been used but ends up revealing a different side of things. Rachel McAdams plays a good part and shows the smarts and wit needed from a young up-and-coming reporter. Helen Mirren is always very entertaining in every part she plays, and she does a good job as a somewhat minor role in this movie.
I found the movie very entertaining with some good conflict between the several members of the cast, and a few twists you won’t see coming. The plot has enough complexity to keep you guessing all the way to the end. There are also some good suspenseful scenes in this movie.
Even though it’s only been a little over a decade some parts of this movie felt slightly dated, such as the senior employee mentoring his trainee, and giving her the respect she deserves rather than taking the 2021 approach of taking all of the credit while using your cohort.
If you’re looking for something to watch I highly recommend this Political Thriller.
And unless you’ve already seen it you won’t be able to guess the ending.