State of Play

Political thriller State of Play opens with an ignominious bit of PR; journalist Cal McAffrey drives to work in a battered Saab estate, doing nothing to encourage the suggestion his profession is one of affluence.  For the discerning eye, there’s much to suggest that State of Play could be rather forgettable; Russell Crowe took the role of McAffrey on the pretext that he had nothing better to do, and on the face of it, the film seems to be yet another Hollywood appropriation of someone else’s good work, having been adapted from the eponymous BBC television drama.  Despite this, Kevin Macdonald does a terrific job of reigning in thespian aplomb with so many heavyweights present, and the dialogue feels natural as a result.  To the film’s credit, the subtext of investigative reporting versus ‘viewspaper’ journalism isn’t entirely sanctified either.  It might not be well-paid, but journalism shown in this light looks very rewarding.