|
State of Play |  | Director: Kevin Macdonald
Actors: Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Harry J. Lennix
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy Used: $3.94
as of 11/23/2009 18:57 CST details
You Save: $26.04 (87%)
New (34) Used (56) Collectible (1) from $3.94
Seller: video_hut
Rating:  73 reviews
Sales Rank: 703
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 127 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 61104845
UPC: 025195040075
EAN: 0025195040075
ASIN: B002DU39GW
Theatrical Release Date: 2009
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressmans mistress. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/01/2009 Starring: Russell Crowe Rachel Mcadams Run time: 128 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
The superlative British miniseries becomes a smart, soap opera-free film courtesy of The Last King of Scotland's Kevin Macdonald. His writers, including Tony Gilroy (the Bourne series) and Billy Ray (Breach), haven't simply condensed and Americanized the six-hour series--they've reinvented it. Now set in Washington D.C., veteran journalist Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe, replacing Brad Pitt, who dropped out over script changes) still collaborates with editor Cameron Lynne (a delectably imperious Helen Mirren) and junior reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) on a story involving Cal's politico pal, Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), but there's a new subtext behind their plunge into sex scandals and corporate malfeasance, since this State of Play also eulogizes old-school beat reporting, and in interviews, Macdonald has acknowledged the influence of newsprint classics like All the President's Men (the Watergate Hotel even shows up as a location). So, while Cal and Della, the Globe’s blogger, try to determine whether the congressman’s aide Sonia (with whom he was having an affair) died at her own hands or the hands of another, they're also fighting for their careers and the survival of their ailing paper. Stephen's political rival Senator Fergus (Jeff Daniels), does his best to stymie their efforts, but PR flack Dominic Foy (Jason Bateman) becomes a reluctant ally. Though fans of the series may miss a few characters, like Cameron's son (played by James McAvoy in the BBC version), Oscar-winning documentarian-turned-filmmaker Macdonald remains true to its spirit. Be sure to stay through the poignant end credits, during which he returns to his doc roots. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Stills from State of Play (Click for larger image)
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 73
Enjoyable if forgettable November 22, 2009
One-Line Film Reviews (Easton, MD)
The Bottom Line:
When you walk away and think about the plot of State of Play there are a dozen plot holes and the denouement falls rather flat, but it works as a solid thriller while you're watching it, providing two hours of fast-moving entertainment without seeming to insult your intelligence; if you want a disposable 120 minutes of movie fun, by all means check this film out.
3/4
Good fun political thriller November 21, 2009
Rangaprabhu Parthasarathy (Collegeville, PA)
This was a good political thriller after a while. If I may digress a little bit, how come there are never enough good political thrillers?
Crowe as usual is good. Rachel McAdams is believable and Ben Affleck and Robin Wright Penn turn in good performances. On the Blu-ray disc, the dark recesses of DC and the dark nature of politics appeared as they should- dark and creepy. Good transfer. Great sound. I have a minor peeve about the extras on the disc or lack of thereof but still enjoyed a good thriller. Now I want to see the BBC miniseries which it is based on.
For folks looking for an adult political thriller, here is one. Enjoy!
Crackling Political Thriller November 15, 2009
David Baldwin (Philadelphia,PA USA)
For the first two-thirds or so I thought this flick was teetering toward predictability. In the last third is when some decent twists and red herrings start to kick in. At this point you find yourself riveted to the screen. The denouement is plausible and definitely not a cop-out. The film is distinguished by top-notch direction, writing, and acting particularly Ben Affleck as a disgraced congressman. I note Affleck becuase lately he's been making his mark not only in this film but in "Hollywoodland" where he was stupendous as the late actor George Reeves. "State of Play" isn't a particularly great film but better than the average fare.
A thriller for adults. November 13, 2009
Joseph M. Perorazio (Columbus, OH USA)
An intelligent thriller about journalistic integrity and political corruption.
Russell Crowe leads an excellent ensemble cast in this story of a corrupt Congressman and the challenges of traditional news gathering in this age of blogs and the 24-hour news cycle. Ben Affleck is surprisingly good as the Congressman ... perhaps he should stick to ensemble pieces like this and shy away from leading man roles. Helen Mirren is a standout as the beleagured newspaper boss, caught between her corporate bosses and her desire for journalistic excellence. Robin Wright Penn and Jeff Daniels round out the excellent cast.
Tight plotting, a shocking twist near the end, a welcome lack of explosions, and just a small amount of R-rated language make this an excellent adult thriller, very welcome in this age when most movies are aimed at 15-year-old boys.
Riveting and timely November 10, 2009
Jody (Northwest Ohio)
Perhaps I could have rated State of Play five stars if I hadn't seen the BBC miniseries. As good as the movie is, it is limited by the medium and could only provide broad hints of the subplots that made the BBC series so rich and suspenseful. However, this movie is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours.
The cast is outstanding. Russell Crowe is superb as the driven reporter who is personally involved in a story that threatens to destroy his Congressman friend, played by Ben Affleck. Affleck is underrated as an actor; his portrayal of Stephen Collins is finely nuanced and convincing. Rachel McAdams is brave and naive as the ambitious cub reporter who longs to be taken seriously and Robin Wright Penn is nicely sympathtic as Collins' wronged and wronging wife. Helen Mirren is forceful and profane as Cal's editor, though sometimes it seemed she didn't quite understand what an editor actually does. Still, though it's possible to nit-pick--why would the writers have Collins openly weep at a Congressional hearing, for example--all these things are necessary to the plot, which is necessarily limited by time. See above.
State of Play is great entertainment, and addresses the issue of what we have a right to expect from elected officials. How sad it is that thirty years after All The President's Men, this continues to be an issue worth investing millions into a movie?
Showing reviews 1-5 of 73
|
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
| |
