"State of Play" [Spoilers]

[Big Orange]

Yesterday I went to see State of Play, a movie adaptation of a relatively old BBC produced mini-series from back in 2003. It starred Russell Crowe and I while I didn’t like it as much as I did American Gangster, it was a well made thriller that sufficiently entertained me for 120 minutes, although I won’t buy/hire the DVD of it and I suspect the original mini-series is less watered down. Russell Crowe plays a slobbish press reporter who twigs that a back ally shooting and a Metro station “accident” are related to each other, and of course the plot kicks off from there. Ben Affleck plays a seemingly clean cut politician who is trying to shut down a multi-billion dollar mercenary security firm known as PointCorp, the ostensive antagonists, with the recent deaths putting serious pressure on the case. Rachel McAdams plays Crowe’s plucky sidekick, while Helen Mirren chews the scenery as Crowe’s put upon boss. The decidedly glassy eyed Michael Berresse could pass off as a less physically imposing version of Javier Bardem, he plays the mystery assassin with a military background.

Anyway the location shooting of Washington DC is well done and immersive, with the numerous shots and sounds of dark helicopters rumbling overhead effectively building up the palatable atmosphere of paranoia. It is a 12A so it has incidents of moderate gun violence and there are a couple of F-bombs. Although not to give too much away, the movie would’ve had a lower body count if
Spoiler

Ben Affleck’s character hired a private investigator to spy on his girlfriend-cum-colleague, instead of his mentally damaged bunk-buddy from his time in the US Army.

But that would’ve made for a boring story.

[JME2]

I saw it opening weekend. Not too bad and an above-average political thriller. Even Affleck was tolerable and I normally despise him.

[Big Orange]

Ben Affleck was seriously hamstrung by that Pearl Harbour debacle.

[JME2]

Ben Affleck was seriously hamstrung by that Pearl Harbour debacle.

Well, that and Daredevil...

[Guardsman Bass]

Anyway the location shooting of Washington DC is well done and immersive, with the numerous shots and sounds of dark helicopters rumbling overhead effectively building up the palatable atmosphere of paranoia. It is a 12A so it has incidents of moderate gun violence and there are a couple of F-bombs. Although not to give too much away, the movie would’ve had a lower body count if
Spoiler

Ben Affleck’s character hired a private investigator to spy on his girlfriend-cum-colleague, instead of his mentally damaged bunk-buddy from his time in the US Army.

But that would’ve made for a boring story.

Spoiler

It was definitely a stupid decision on his part, but I think he did it because he utterly trusted the guy and didn't think he would go ape-shit and rogue in the process.

In any case, it was a pretty entertaining movie.

[Big Orange]

Ben Affleck was seriously hamstrung by that Pearl Harbour debacle.

Well, that and Daredevil...

Like with the similarily so-so received Alien 3, I heard the special cut of Daredevil is considerably better than the original cut. But there has been such a glut of comic book movies in the last near decade, I guess not all of them were going to be great (the worst, though, came out way back in 1997: Steel and Batman & Robin).

You can check it out Steel here (if you dare).

[JME2]

Ben Affleck was seriously hamstrung by that Pearl Harbour debacle.

Well, that and Daredevil...

Like with the similarily so-so received Alien 3, I heard the special cut of Daredevil is considerably better than the original cut.

I have seen the director's cut and while not a perfect film, it certainly is much better than the atrocity that hit theaters.

You can check it out Steel here (if you dare).

I unfortunately saw that film shortly after it came out. No need to do more damage to my psyche...

[Big Orange]

Ben Affleck in State of Play did exude a tangible air of punchable smugness, but that suited the character he was playing, although he convinced me when his character emotionally broke down several times. Pearl Harbour was a mediocre movie, but it less badly made and clumsy than Waterworld, and objectively not a whole lot worse than Titanic (which it was pretty much a contemporary of).

And yes, I haven't seen Steel properly (nor do I want to), but I can tell it is a pile of shit by the direlogue alone and the horrendous non-acting by Shaquille O'Neal (who starred in another totally awful movie, Kazaam, spectacularily kicked apart by the Nostalga Critic).

[Havok]

But there has been such a glut of comic book movies in the last near decade, I guess not all of them were going to be great (the worst, though, came out way back in 1997: Steel and Batman & Robin).

Now now now. Lets give Elektra and Catwoman their due.

[JME2]

But there has been such a glut of comic book movies in the last near decade, I guess not all of them were going to be great (the worst, though, came out way back in 1997: Steel and Batman & Robin).

Now now now. Lets give Elektra and Catwoman their due.

Avoided the latter as to Elektra, well, I elected not to see it...