The Underrated Russell Crowe & Ben Affleck Thriller That Deserves Your Attention
"State of Play" is a mid-tier entry on both the ranking of Ben Affleck's best movies and the ranking of Russell Crowe's best movies, but the solid political thriller gets swept under the rug of their higher-profile films of the same genre such as "Argo," "The Insider," and "Body of Lies."
In the same way that Ben Affleck was perfect for the role of Nick in "Gone Girl" because he can so easily slip into douchebaggery, his turn in "State of Play" was fitting. Much like his character, Congressman Stephen Collins, Affleck knows what it's like to deal with negative and obsessive media attention after his whole Bennifer saga. Russell Crowe plays Cal McCaffrey, a journalist determined to find out whether Stephen, his old friend, was involved in the murder of his assistant.
The movie has a stellar supporting cast that includes Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Robin Wright, and Jeff Daniels. "State of Play" follows a lot of familiar political thriller beats, such as corruption in Washington D.C., a reporter uncovering secrets on a dogged pursuit for the truth, and scandalous cover-ups, but there's a lot that makes it stand out from others in the genre.
State of Play reminds us when journalism was about the truth, not clicks
Political thriller veterans Matthew Michael Carnahan ("Lions for Lambs"), Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton"), and Billy Ray ("Shattered Glass") put together a twisty plot that moves at a brisk pace, never letting up until the gobsmacking end. The cat-and-mouse dynamic between the ex-college roommates gives the investigation a personal weight that makes you second guess everything.
What's most exciting about "State of Play" is when old-school investigative reporting butts heads with the rise of blogging and digital media, as Cal McAffrey is forced to team up with a newfangled, "lesser-than" internet journalist. There's a buzzing in the air when they piece all the clues together. The behind-the-scenes intensity of a newsroom chasing a major political scandal and the focus on journalistic integrity is in the vein of "All the President's Men" (one of the best movies ever made).
Watching "State of Play" today feels prescient in a world that's moved beyond internet articles and into AI-generated stories. McAffrey's love of the analog is reflected in the newsroom scenes that are shot in anamorphic format on 35mm film, while the political scenes were captured in high-definition video — sharper, starker, and more cutting. "State of Play" can be purchased on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, and streamed through a Cinemax add-on.