Cal McAffrey, the reporter, knows a death is not always what it looks like. In “State of Play,” Russell Crowe plays a Washington journalist who follows a congressman’s aide, Sonia Baker, into a killing that leaves no easy answer. The film, directed by Kevin Macdonald, asks what happens when the truth costs more than anyone expected.
Trailer, via Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers.
The Killing of Sonia Baker
Baker dies after being struck by a train. A witness is shot while fleeing, left in a coma. A man with a metal briefcase kills a fleeing thief named Deshaun Stagg. Crowe’s Cal pieces together the fragments: a gun with homemade hollow-point bullets, a homeless girl named Mandi selling stolen items, a well-dressed man caught on camera with Sonia.
Stephen Collins and the Congressman’s Wife
Ben Affleck plays Stephen Collins, the congressman whose aide died. He admits to Cal that he was having an affair with Sonia. His wife, Anne, played by Robin Wright, knows the whole story. Jason Bateman plays Dominic Foy, and Helen Mirren plays Cameron Lynne.
Della Frye and the Witness
Rachel McAdams plays Della Frye, Cal’s new recruit. She reviews Metro CCTV footage but finds nothing. Then she sees the killer in the footage and at the hospital, where a sniper kills the witness as he comes out of his coma. Cal sends her there while he meets with Anne.
PointCorp and the Contract Trail
Stephen confirms PointCorp is the power behind other defense contractors, seeking a virtual monopoly worth hundreds of billions of dollars. If Cal can prove PointCorp killed Sonia, Stephen will go public with his findings. A PointCorp insider gives Cal a contact address, where he meets the assassin, who shoots at him before fleeing.
Detective Donald Bell and the Missing Girl
Detective Donald Bell informs Cal that Mandi has been found murdered. Her flatmate, Rhonda Silver, identifies her remains.
The Cast and the Pitt Problem
The film draws on a British television serial of the same name. Crowe and McAdams anchor a cast that also includes Jeff Daniels, Robin Wright, and Jason Bateman. The film’s history is not quiet: Brad Pitt was attached to the lead role before leaving the production in November 2007, citing script changes he disagreed with. The studio briefly threatened to sue Pitt over his “pay or play” deal, which would have earned him $20 million.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The plot moves fast, with secrets stacking on top of each other. The film leans on the tension between Cal and Stephen, between the journalist and the politician he covers. McAdams’s Della adds a fresh perspective as Cal’s new recruit.
The film’s weakness is that it never quite settles on what it wants to be. It touches on the privatization of American Homeland Security and the relationship between politicians and the press, but it never digs deep enough to make either point stick. The thriller elements are present, but they feel like additions rather than the core of the story.
The Verdict
“State of Play” is a solid, if uneven, political thriller. Crowe and McAdams carry a script that never fully commits to its own stakes. The film is best remembered for the cast and the premise, not for the execution.
Key Facts
- Runtime: 127 minutes
- Release: April 17, 2009
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Gross: $88 million worldwide
- Pitt’s pay-or-play deal: $20 million
Film Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2003 | British TV serial “State of Play” airs |
| Aug 2007 | Pitt commits to star after script rewrite |
| Sept 2007 | Pitt visits The Washington Post newsroom |
| Nov 2007 | Pitt leaves production |
| April 17, 2009 | Film released in North America |
The film is worth seeing for Crowe and McAdams, even if the mystery around Sonia Baker never quite closes the way it should.
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