State of Play

I must be one of the few people not to have seen the original BBC series State of Play. I suspect this might be a good thing: when I read a book before seeing the film adaptation I usually sit there getting increasingly irritated by the alterations and omissions. I imagine that the same would apply with a TV original (spin-offs are another hideous beast entirely) Thus I was spared constant mental comparisons between the two versions and could enjoy the film on its own merits.
The plot is pleasingly complex without ever falling into the trap of becoming incomprehensible. It's also naggingly plausible even for those who aren't conspiracy theorists. The state of America during the Bush administration combines with a feeling for 70s paranoid thrillers (especially those sporting truth-hunting reporters) to produce a plot that doesn't require a huge leap of faith to accept.
Ben Affleck still proves to be a better director than actor, but luckily most of the heavy-lifting falls on the very capable shoulders of Russell Crowe. He's one of the few stars who can be a convincingly shabby, overweight and generally shambolic bloke - just imagine Cruise or Keanu in the role of Cal, never mind first choice Brad. Even more than Jeffrey Wigand, Cal is the antithesis of the hero of Gladiator and yet Crowe is totally convincing as all these characters. Cal's flat, his car, his desk are all cluttered and gadget-free. He's an old-school reporter, easily imagined in a newsroom exchanging drinks and barbs with the likes of Hildy Johnson. He's not a hero: he doesn't have a gun nor does he get get hold of one at any point. In fact, he usually ends up diving to the floor during moments of real danger. What he is though is absolutely dogged in pursuit of a story, and even after everything seems explained, his instincts are still on high alert. You understand entirely why he has a love-hate relationship with his editor (he's a good reporter with good contacts but doesn't seem to understand the concept of a deadline) and why he views the newspaper's bloggers with contempt (from his point of view, what they do isn't *real* reporting) He's both infuriating and admirable, and it turns out, fallible. There's a terrific moment when he's following a lead and unexpectedly encounters someone very dangerous indeed. The fear has to be hidden underneath some serious bluffing. There's no romantic subplot between the grizzled reporter and the perky blogger either, thank goodness (Cal tells Della at one point that he doesn't think of her as a girl but as a reporter, which is actually very high praise) They are colleagues, at first barely tolerating each other. Cal's subsequent gift of a pen "necklace" - the culmination of a running gag - has far more impact than a kiss and is totally in keeping with the character. All in all, a terrific thriller, beautifully paced and acted, and a film that maintains Kevin Macdonald's 100% strike rate.