State of Play - Film Review

State of Play was a great classic "who done it" investigative journalist film.

State of Play was a pleasant surprise.

I really didn’t think anything more of it than one of those films that continually makes you think it’s someone you’d never expect.  Which, granted, it is… but I still really enjoyed it.  More importantly, I really like Russell Crowe as Cal McAffrey.  He seemed to play the role with such ease.  I’ve been thinking the past couple of days about how flaws can sometimes make a character and how the actor portrays a character.  Cal McAffrey speaks volumes to that sentiment.  He’s a quality journalist with some dark and seeded issues that only made me love him more.  Then again, that’s what I do.  I love people and characters that contain flaws and are not afraid to show them.  There is something so human and vital about accepting and being who you really are.

Ben Affleck was another surprise as well.  He seems to have either lost some weight or aged finally.  Or perhaps both.  I like the aged look for Ben.  He wears it well and it gives him a sense of experience that I felt he lacked in his facial expressions previously.  And we cannot forget Helen Mirren or Rachel McAdams who both did a wonderful job.  Helen Mirren can do no wrong and Rachel McAdams needs that one dark human role to set her at top the rest of the actresses.  I’ve been a fan of Rachel for some time and would love to see her push the limits and surprise us all.

State of Play was a great classic “who done it” investigative journalist film.  Definitely watch this movie in the theater.