STATE OF PLAY (2009)

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"Cinema was due for a good movie about journalism."

Right now is a historical moment in journalism. I am not sure if this is necessarily a positive moment or a negative one. However, there is an undeniable shift in the way that news is communicated to the masses. In this bad economy, newspapers are shutting down. With the Internet disseminating information like never before, print papers have competitors that William Randolph Hearst likely never saw coming. Why read a paper when you can go to multiple news sites, or even blogs written by self-proclaimed journalists? Or better yet, why read a review printed in a metropolitan newspaper when you can get a whole variety of opinions from movie sites such as MovieWeb? Whether one loves it or hates it, new media is having a profound effect on journalism. This is exactly why movie theaters are due for a film that captures the contemporary landscape of the industry. Director Kevin Macdonald takes on the subject with suspense and criticism in the recent thriller State of Play.

Russell Crowe stars as Cal McAffrey, a writer for a major Washington DC newspaper. Cal is what one would describe as old school all the way. He sits in a cluttered desk where he writes his stories on a 12-year-old computer using archaic word processing software. While he is not exactly up to speed with new technology, he is a journalist who prefers to do things the right way and the hard way. His tendency to investigate leads for days before actually producing content frustrates his editor (Helen Mirren), but Cal realizes he is a one-of-a-kind breed that is dying out. He is reminded of this when he has encounters with co-worker Della Frye, the young and hip perspective of the publication who accepts lower pay to produce a regular blog on the paper's web site. The constant stream of information is something Cal refers to as "upchuck" on the Internet.

At a given moment there are two mysterious murders in Washington D.C. Simultaneously, a political scandal hits the airwaves involving the possible murder of a political aide and her link to prominent congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). It just so happens that Cal and Stephen are close friends, which gives Cal incentive to dig deeper into these events. There is a possibility that all of these killings are linked, but Cal is forced to make difficult decisions before he has even scratched the surface. While he thinks his friend Stephen is innocent, is he willing to print the truth as usual if it means exposing some dirt on his old chum? Better yet, are there forces behind these crimes that could be life threatening to Cal and anyone involved in the investigation.

State of Play is one of those thrillers that is not scared to make its audience think. While it does offer some tense moments, the screenplay is jam-packed with commentary about the state of journalism today, and raises the question of who we can really trust to get our information. These smart angles are thanks to co-writer Tony Gilroy, who is also responsible for helming Duplicity and Michael Clayton. The biggest issues with journalism are presented here with a big bow around them. You have the dichotomy between old (print) and new (blogs) media. You have journalists making ethical and unethical decisions about what should or shouldn't be presented to the masses as fact. You also have the involvement of corporate owners deciding what should or shouldn't be printed. The movie's coverage of journalism is the best part of this film. If anything does suffer, it is the suspenseful plot line that does run a tad long at times. They even manage to throw in a twist ending that I found to be inevitable and predictable.

Another treat here are the performances delivered by the ensemble. Russell Crowe really anchors the film as a main character we can believe in. Cal is a passionate character who is faced with ethical and life-threatening dilemnas, and we are with him every step of the way. Ben Affleck also puts in a nice turn in a more supporting role as Stephen. After the actor's disappearance from the screen, it is good to see him taking supporting and more challenging roles on the big screen. I was a little disappointed by Rachel McAdams who is very talented, but limited to a more quiet, sidekick role. This cutie from Canada has a ton of talent, and I would have loved to see her character take charge of a little more screen time.

It is really hard to find movies that are both exciting and smart at the same time. Like print newspapers, they seem to be going extinct. Cinema was due for a good movie about journalism. While I do discredit the movie a bit for a plot that overstays its welcome, I truly do recommend this movie. It is a particularly strong reminder that the world needs to embrace the old ways of journalism that entail gathering the facts and checking them twice before throwing them to the presses. State of Play is a terrific popcorn movie and thinking movie rolled into one. I say see this picture.