The Red Right Hand
  www.theredrighthand.co.uk





STATE OF PLAY
Nothing Is Off The Record

Director
Kevin MacDonald

Starring
Russell Crowe
Rachel McAdams
Ben Affleck
Helen Mirren

Based on the British mini-series of the same name, State Of Play is an espionage thriller that really fails to fire on all cylinders from the get-go. Like a complex crime scene, everything appears standard on the surface but beneath the obvious lies a seedy truth - in this case, certain mini-series do not work as cinematic releases. The story begins with the death of a drug-addicted thief, the introduction of a bloated, out-dated investigative journalist and the death of a congressman's mistress. You would think this an ideal start to a film - flawed lead, ties to politics, two dead bodies - but not so because despite an exceptional cast, great production, cinematography and editing, it still manages to fall apart. Alright, that may be a little overly damning but when you have so many highly-skilled individuals involved in a project, the clout of failure strikes harder.

It's very difficult to detail the exact reasons this movie caves without giving away the entire plot arc but despite a few standout performances and a promising start, the plot veers wildly from highly unlikely to outright unrealism. As stated, the problem seems to stem from the adaptation and condensation of a 342 minute mini-series into a 127film. So much is cut that when plot reveals are brought to light they seem rushed and implausible. On top of that, despite trying to cram so much into the given running time, the whole thing felt so very long and poorly paced.

This movie is far from a disaster; in fact, due to the maudlin releases, it's one of the best releases this month but I still remain incredibly under whelmed and unimpressed by what was heralded as Kevin MacDonald's second Oscar bid. Episode X of my podcast features a brief interview between Daniel Wickham and myself that is laden with tones that initially sum up my overall reaction to the film - namely one of displeased dissatisfaction; the fact that I had to wake up early on Sunday morning and waste the first few hours of my birthday may have had something to do with it but having collected my thoughts, I'm still unimpressed. Sort of like Lions For Lambs and The International only without the bleeding-heart war sentiments.

Release Date:
24th April 2009

The Scene To Look Out For:
**Spoiler time**
I hated the ending. Not the poorly rounded-up twist but the closing scene. Crowe's sitting there typing away his article and we pull back to find his budding young admirer and stern editor watching over his shoulder. The whole thing was just so stupid. Nobody edited his work, it was maybe one thousand words long and he just walks off into the sunset (metaphorically speaking). It was just bloody absurd; do screenwriters even know how journalists work?

Notable Characters:
Helen Mirren plays the firm-but-lax editor who often sounds more like a disgruntled police chief cliché, ranting on about the pressure from higher powers, barking orders, wagging fingers and saying, "You've got twenty four hours, then I'm pulling you off the case." And yet, at the same time, we love Helen; everyone does. And as such, you can't help but forgive her and enjoy the character she portrays.

Highlighted Quote:
"If a story is important enough people should have newsprint on their fingers when they read it"

In A Few Words:
"Highly disposable thriller that redeems itself in places and crucifies itself in others"

Total Score:
6/10


Matthew Stogdon