My Review of State of Play

Murph Review -- State of Play 4/22/09 (Some spoilers) -Comments welcomed!

This will be a difficult review for me to write, mainly because I have seen, and loved, the BBC series on which the film is based 3 times. Yet this film, in its two hours, does an excellent job of telling us about a newspaper and a story that is large enough to include characters from poor to wealthy, from individuals to large corporations, and finally, mainly, to show us the inner workings of a troubled newspaper. You can smell the newsprint from your seat in the theater.

Russell plays Cal McAffrey. His Cal is long haired, sloppy, overweight, and partial to Newfoundland folk music and Cheetos. He is also a darn good news reporter of the old school, believing in tips, and fact digging, and shoe leather to get his story. Crowe’s face has seen the world, and it tells its own story. Once again he is the master of the look in the eyes, and the unspoken thought behind those eyes. When he is on screen, he owns it.

He is paired with Della Smith, well played by Rachel Adams, a new fangled blogger for the Washington Globe on line edition. Rachel Adams’ Della is Crowe’s opposite in everything, except for being as able as he in getting to the source of the story – in her own way.

Kevin Macdonald, as director of the film version, knows how to make a camera work, and to move the action along at a brisk pace. There are two “action” sequences, one in an almost empty garage that will get your pulse running and is brand new for the film. Also the opening action scene really grabbed the audience and drew us in to the plot line. We assume it will connect to the main characters but don't know how. 

More low-key than David Morrissey, who played Stephen Collins in the original, Affleck built on his charactor and was finally very affecting in the role. His manner and expression when he had to announce the death of his research assistant were the marks of a talented actor.

Helen Mirren was an excellent editor in chief of a failing newspaper. The story has shifted, since the mini series, from thriving newspapers, to ones that struggle daily to keep their identity against corporate take-overs, and lack of readership. Mirren had to cope with all that, while trying to run the newspaper. She also had some of the saltiest lines in the movie.

I thought many of the subordinate characters were excellent, among them Jeff Daniels as George Fergus. He played the West Virginian congressman with just the right amount of swarmy piety. The ever beautiful Robin Wright Penn was quietly effective as Collins’ wife. Jason Bateman as Dominic Foy was also outstanding in a small role. He had great lines, and was enough of a charming sleaze-bag to make us wish we could have seen more of him. Marc Warren, in the BBC series, had a much larger part, and who will forget him at the airport, his jaw wired, and neck brace on, trying to catch a plane.

Harry Lennox, in the Philip Glenister part, was also someone to watch, as was the killer, Robert Bingham, played in the film with chilling fanaticism by Michael Berresse.

Outstanding were the sets (news room) and use of DC as a backdrop.  Macdonald avoided too many obvious Washington landmark shots.  Particularly notable is a scene with Crowe and Daniels in front of the Kennedy Center.  Also the scene in the Metro was stylish and well shot.

Again Russell proves that his goose-bump factor is still working. State of Play is a first class film – action packed, with enough plot twists to keep you guessing until the final scene. And his Cal McAffrey joins many of his other great characterizations on the screen.

For Your Birthday

Here is a Time cover from 2003. I post it in honor of Captain Jack Aubrey's birthday. It was "Capt. Jack" who first wrote to me all those years ago.

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1. From "Schmiddy in the UK:" March's Empire magazine dropped on my mat this morning, Nice piece in it on State of Play ~ mentions RC eating chocolate covered strawberries!

Update

Alternet.org: In his first major campaign speech on March 18, 1968, Robert Kennedy warned against measuring ourselves by wealth alone: "Yet the Gross National Product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans." [Today we are all proud to be Americans]

IMDbDaily Poll: From this list of memorable character exits, which would you pick as the greatest? - Thanks, Kris C

January 19

Fox411: Paging Maid Marian - Robin Hood’s Maid Marian is about to get a little more mature. I’m told that since Sienna Miller has left “Nottingham,” the latest big screen retelling of the Robin Hood saga, director Ridley Scott is now looking for an actress more in the range of “35 to 40” to play opposite Russell Crowe ... Scott and Crowe, meanwhile, are said to be at peace after a period of fighting. Their disagreements are said to be legendary after making so many films together. Last fall at the premiere of “Body of Lies,” a failed Crowe-Scott collaboration, one actor told me, “They fight like father and son all the time.” And who wins? “The one with the money, of course. Russell.”. - Thanks, Steph

From CGee: Here’s just a blurb from the Souths website about Memberships exceeding the 2008 level and reaching 6660. It’s quite an achievement considering that it’s not even the beginning of the preseason games.

Google News: Quotes by Russell - Thanks, Vera

Rusty is no dumb bunny

The Daily Telegraph: Rusty is no dumb bunny -- [ed note: out of the past!] Jack Marx on Russell's video message about the Rabbitohs - "...For the record, I don't have a great deal of affection for the man, a fact that should have been obvious to all on the publishing of a widely read story some two years ago, which documented Crowe's attempt to manipulate me into writing him a good yarn. I haven't spoken to him since, and it's sufficient to reveal we won't be exchanging Christmas cards this year or any year hereafter. I suspect he's as comfortable with that arrangement as me. But that doesn't make me a lifelong cheerleader for the Anti-Crowe League, a club whose membership is greater, it seems, than that of any football club." - Thanks, Maria

Happy Thanksgiving to all Crowe fans!!

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