2009 Rewind: State of Play

 


This year films from 2009 are celebrating a 15th Anniversary. I will be looking at five films from 2009 that I've enjoyed as part of an anniversary celebration. Today, I'm looking at State of Play.

Rep. Stephen Collins: Am I talking to my friend now or am I talking to a reporter?
Cal McAffrey: I gotta be both.

State of Play
Starring: Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, and Jeff Daniels
Director: Kevin Macdonald
About: A murder on the street, a dead Congressional aide, a Congressman on the rise, a young online reporter, and a grizzled veteran reporter all are brought together. These are the elements in play for this film, which I loved. It's got a great cast and an intriguing premise. If you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I love journalism films. This is one of the journalism films that have always stuck out to me. I like the arc of the story here and the rich performances. This isn't the only time McAdams has played a reporter, but she does a nice job here. I also enjoy the back-and-forth with Crowe and Affleck. Mirren is solid as the grizzled editor. The story pulls me in and I enjoy the execution. This was based on a British TV series of the same name, but I enjoyed the execution of this one a little better. This wasn't a wildly popular film but even 15 years later it holds up well. It remains one of my favorites released that year.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more