Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

seymourblack-1 This fast-moving political thriller follows a newspaper investigation into a huge conspiracy that involves a powerful corporation and corrupt politicians. "PointCorp" already holds numerous government contracts, primarily for security work, but is also engaged in an effort to ensure that U.S. Homeland Security is effectively privatised so that the corporation can profit from becoming the sole contractor for all the work involved. The stakes are high as there are literally billions of dollars to be made from the government contracts and so the ruthless people at the top of the corporation are prepared to do whatever's necessary to ensure that they'll get what they want."Washington Globe" investigative reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) takes an interest in a night-time double-shooting incident during which a drug-addicted bag thief was killed and a pizza delivery man was incapacitated and then, next morning hears about a young woman who'd reportedly committed suicide by jumping under a subway train. It soon comes to light that the woman was Sonia Baker (Maria Thayer), a researcher who was working for Cal's ex-college roommate, Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). Collins is one of his party's rising stars and the chairman of a committee that's currently looking into the activities of PointCorp. When Collins receives the news about Sonia during a hearing that's being broadcast on TV, he tearfully informs everyone present and later, when he meets up with Cal, admits that Sonia was his lover and says that he's absolutely convinced that she didn't kill herself.When it emerges that Sonia disappeared under a train in one of the subway's CCTV blind spots, the bag thief was carrying a briefcase he'd stolen from PointCorp and the pizza delivery man is shot dead in his hospital bed, Cal becomes convinced of a link between all three killings and the existence of a major conspiracy. Cal's editor, Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren), teams him up with Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), a young inexperienced Capitol Hill blogger who writes for the Globe's online version and a major breakthrough follows when she recognises a man who features in one of the photos which was found in the briefcase that was stolen by the bag thief. This then enables Della and Cal to get the information they need to unravel the mystery surrounding Sonia's death and the whole PointCorp conspiracy that, after some further twists and turns, enables them to go to press with their major story.Despite the rather involved nature of this movie's plot and the impressive speed with which the action's delivered, it never loses its clarity and always takes sufficient time to provide all the information that's necessary to make its characters seem totally credible. As a veteran journalist, Cal believes in avoiding sensationalism and checking out his stories thoroughly to ensure that they're accurate. However, his high standards are no longer appreciated in the fast-moving digital world where speed is valued far more highly than accuracy or good taste. By contrast, Della's far more in tune with the current news environment as her gossipy stories and opinion columns take far less time to produce and have the advantage of also attracting a large readership.As the struggling "Washington Globe" has new owners (MediaCorp) who are only interested in profits, they've put great pressure on its editor to improve the bottom line or else see the paper closed down and consequently, this pressure makes Cameron Lynne become increasingly demanding, bad tempered and snappy with her staff.The differences between Cal, Della and Cameron add interest to their working relationships and the fact that Cal's friendly with Collins and had previously had an affair with his wife Ann (Robin Wright), makes his struggle for objectivity even more difficult than it would normally be. The quality of the acting in this movie is consistently top-class with superb performances by all its main players and Robin Wright and Jason Bateman (as the PR agent who turns informant) both excellent in their important supporting roles.

juneebuggy This was a bit of a surprise hit for me as I'm not usually one for the political thrillers or Russell Crow but the well thought out, slowly unravelling (and clever) story hooked me.Lots of twists I didn't see coming as a Washington D.C congressman (Affleck) and a reporter (Crowe) become locked on a dangerous collision course when the journalist starts investigating a case involving the murder of a congressional aide and his old college friend. Conspiracy theories, corporate cover-ups, informants and billions of dollars are about to be uncovered.I enjoyed Crow in this toned down role along with his ambitious protégé Rachel McAdams. Ben Affleck does a decent job too. Actually the entire cast was fantastic, including Robin Wright, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis. I couldn't single out any one great performance. A well thought out thriller. 06.13 (2)

Johan Dondokambey The base premise is just one notch above any average scandal and conspiracy story. But I must admit the later twists are great. The look like they are downplays but they are not. The characters are not so deeply developed, though. And the focus is not so deep on the rest of the characters beside Cal and Stephen. I personally like the stable fast pace of how the mystery unfolded.Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck did a great job here, while McAdams provided just enough for her character. Helen Mirren was able to give this movie some added toughness, even from a not so significant character, which is nice. A 7 out of 10 is solid from me.

atlasmb State of Play starts out as a mystery. The main character, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), is a reporter for the Washington Globe. For years he has been friends with Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), a politician who is making his mark in D.C. by serving on a committee that is investigating the Department of Defense regarding the way they hand out contracts.When one of the congressman's staffers is killed in a subway accident, that story casts a shadow over the politician, leading--in a domino effect--to repercussions on his activities, the congressional investigation, his marriage, and his relationship with McAffrey.As McAffrey is drawn into the story, he must analyze his relationship with Collins and his wife. Accompanied by cub reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), he is drawn deeper into the mystery as murders occur and deadlines impend.The film's very real story gains further authenticity by the fact that 1/3 of the film was shot in D.C. The newspaper set built in California is amazing. All of the actors performed well. Watch for Jason Bateman as a sleazy guy who helps connect the dots, and Helen Mirren as the tough, pragmatic newspaper chief.In the end, dollars drive this drama. It's a cautionary tale for all Americans who see greed driving the government, with corruption a necessary consequence.