State of Play***1/2
*ing Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn and Jeff Daniels
Directed by Kevin MacDonald
Tagline: Find The Truth

A charismatic Congressman, a seasoned, sexy investigative reporter, a beautiful young journalist in professional dilemma, three brutal murders and PointCorp - a private military defense company under investigation. Under the layers, a marriage on the rocks, friendships tinged with skepticism, hurt, personal vendetta, distrust and betrayal. That in a nutshell defines the film that is State of Play.

Adapted from the critically-acclaimed British series of the same name, the film leaves no lose ends and continues to mystify in an intriguing manner.

On the surface, State of Play trails three murders, each connected to a clue. And as the clues unfold, it becomes clear that these are not just homicides. It is a cover-up of the nasty kind and it's about billions of dollars and men powerful enough to take any route to hide their secrets. The game of power, politics and greed come out of the shadows as the film unravels. 

Russell Crowe is Cal McAffrey, a seasoned journalist for Washington Globe. He is driven with a knack for discovering the 'real' truth.  Sharp yet emotional, he is battling ethical boundaries and personal relationships. His story is one that impacts the 'very' system that defines private security, defense and its often murky relations with the Department of Defense in the US government. The spill over of these private-personal relations extends to foreign fronts and goes underneath the damage of the cost of real wars and the lucrative business side of it.

Cal McAffrey understands the stakes and his human conflict is brilliant to watch. As a reporter uncovering the truth and the personal battle and betrayal is pure fantastic. It's a performance that is understated and haunted.

His counterpart (on the professional front) is Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) who represents the generation where news published on the Internet is followed by millions. Cal and Della have a thorny relationship and its growth is gradual and is amongst the saner, softer tones in this hard and thrilling drama. 

Rachel McAdams delivers with style and conveys the right emotions. To hold your own against Helen Mirren and Russell Crowe is no easy feat.

Ben Affleck plays Congressman Stephen Collins, who heads the investigation on PointCorp. He is unflinching when it comes to opening the secrets and the lies of the business of defence. But Congressman comes with his own notions of morals. And his hidden and sharply displayed duality is as conflicted, confusing and betraying as the man himself. Ben pulls the role off with grace - but the real star of this film is Russell Crowe.

Congressman Stephen is married to Anne Collins (Robin Wright Penn), a beautiful woman dealing with her popular husband's infidelity and with lost love. Even in a small role, Robin brings the heartache out with turmoil and convincing loss. She is excellent.

Meanwhile there is Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirrren), the editor who runs the ship. She tag teams between Cal McAffrey and Della Frye. She is straightforward, loyal and adds the humour to the film without cracking inane jokes.

There are gray shades to every character and as far as suspense-quotient goes, this film keeps changing pace and throws you off course with its sheer unpredictability. The dirty deals amongst corporations, the willingness to jeopardize personal safety in the world of journalism and deadlines are just some of the facets to this diverse film. The subjects range from political fallout and corruption to the world of journalism, personal effects and the endgame that remains unclear. It is a reflection on a system that is palpable in the world today.  

Make no mistake. State of Play works not just because of its heavyweight star cast and its tight writing but also because of the man behind the project.

Its director Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland) extracts some crackling performances. The film provides no answers. But it provokes.

Can journalists investigate without informing the cops? Can friendship and professionalism stand tall without losing ground? Kevin keeps the undertones throughout and it  is this collective effort that makes State of Play a delightful watch.

Films on political corruption and greed, corporate espionage and emotional betrayals have been around for years. But in a Hollywood where Transformers 2, Super Bad and Twilight rule the global box office, State of Play is a refreshing change. It is challenging, gripping and thought-provoking.

-- Maheen Sabeeh

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME