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April 17, 2009

At the Movies: Miscast Affleck detracts from slick political thriller

By CHRISTY LEMIRE
AP Movie Critic

“State of Play” looks like a provocative, 1970s-style political thriller, and it's the murder of a young woman — a rising congressman's mistress — that drives the narrative.

STATE OF PLAY

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Cast: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman

Rating: PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content

Running time: 118 minutes

But it also turns out to be a fond homage to old-school journalism, and it plays like a eulogy for a sadly dying industry. That's especially true of the footage that rolls during the closing credits: the printing, packaging and shipping out of a big-city newspaper. The images may seem mundane, but they also evoke nostalgia for a more optimistic, prosperous time — especially for those of us who work in this business. And, naturally, we all love movies about ourselves.


 
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