Movie Review: State of Play

Rarely do I see a movie at the theaters twice. When I heard about State of Play, with its journalistic angle and a dash of suspense/thriller, I knew I was in for more than one viewing.

Let's talk plot: A congressman's life (Ben Affleck) turns into a media storm after it's discovered that he was having an affair with a recently murdered co-worker. It's up to Boston Globe journalist (Russell Crowe) and his young, new media side-kick (Rachael McAdams) to crack the "real story."

Along the way there are witty remarks and sarcastic outbursts, such as mocking the emergence of internet blogging. Crowe grumbles something to the effect of, "Before you upchuck something online, make sure you get your facts straight," to McAdams in the early scenes of the movie—an attitude most likely shared by the dying generation of print media journalists.

The story includes some rather surprising twists that I will obviously not get into detail here. Suffice to say, upholding journalistic and personal objectivity exists as one the movie's major themes. Another theme is shown in a scene between Crowe and his editor (Helen Mirren), when she makes it clear that citizens don't care about the truth of a news story, so long as what they're reading is sensationalized.

Overall, I give it a 9 out of 10, mostly because these themes have all been done before (Shattered Glass, The Insider). However, State of Play is able to show these explored truths in a refreshingly, upbeat way with it's commentary of new media, excellent acting talent and suspenseful plot twists.