IMDb > State of Play (2009)
State of Play
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

State of Play (2009) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 43 | slideshow) Videos (see all 25 NEW)
State of Play (2009) -- Picture-perfect U.S. congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) seems to be the rising star in the world of politics -- until his research assistant, who was also his mistress, is murdered. And then the secrets start coming out...
State of Play (2009) -- Clip: Cal comforts Della after she witnesses a shooting
State of Play (2009) -- IGN chats with Crowe, Affleck and McAdams about the political thriller.
State of Play (2009) -- Interview: Rachel McAdams "On Della's ambitions"
State of Play (2009) -- Picture-perfect U.S. congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) seems to be a rising star -- until his research assistant, who was also his mistress, is murdered. Can a star reporter (Crowe) and his co-hort (McAdams) uncover the truth?

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   21,694 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Kevin Macdonald
Writers (WGA):
Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay) and
Tony Gilroy (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for State of Play on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 April 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Mystery | Thriller more
Tagline:
Find The Truth
Plot:
A team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
NewsDesk:
(190 articles)
Helen Mirren Joins “Red”
 (From Filmofilia. 3 November 2009, 3:17 PM, PST)

Free Flick of the Day: His Girl Friday
 (From Cinematical. 31 October 2009, 3:02 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
The Ideal Thriller more (153 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Jeux de pouvoir (France)
Los secretos del poder (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Большая игра (Russia) [ru]
A dolgok állása (Hungary) [hu]
Asjade seis (Estonia) [et]
Devlet oyunlari (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
I katastasi ton pragmaton (Greece) [el]
Intrigas do Estado (Brazil) [pt]
Jeux de pouvoir (Canada: French title) [fr]
La sombra del poder (Spain) [es]
Ligações Perigosas (Portugal) [pt]
Na odstrel (Czech Republic) [cs]
Stan gry (Poland) [pl]
State of Play - Stand der Dinge (Germany) [de]
U vrtlogu igre (Croatia) (wide-release title) [hr]
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content.
Runtime:
127 min
Country:
USA | UK | France
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
USA:PG-13 (certificate #45139) | Australia:M | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-13 | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | South Africa:13LS (13LV) | New Zealand:M | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 | Mexico:B | France:U | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Kevin Macdonald considered asking Bill Nighy to reprise his role of Cameron but decided to make the character a female instead. Helen Mirren was then cast. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Before Della runs after Cal in one of the office scenes near the end, she is wearing the pen necklace he gave her. It was shown that she just got up and ran after him, but the next time we see her she is not wearing the pen necklace. more
Quotes:
[last lines]
Cal McAffrey: Good night everybody. See you tomorrow...
more
Movie Connections:
References "Entertainment Tonight" (1981) more
Soundtrack:
Long As I Can See The Light more

FAQ

How does Cal make the connection between Sonia and Dominic Foy?
Why does Cal phone Sonia Baker to listen to her voicemail?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
52 out of 76 people found the following comment useful.
The Ideal Thriller, 18 April 2009
10/10
Author: lufflyness-1 from United States

So I gave this movie a 10, but that's coming from a thriller fan. With most thrillers, this movie has it's faults. Some exaggeration, implausibilities, annoying twists, but the film transcends other thrillers on all other levels. Even with the overly dramatic plot and scenarios, I felt this film was a very realistic portrayal of journalism and posed an interesting argument between old fashioned print journalism and the new age of the internet. Of course, for the "thrills" they'll have to make some cliché twists, but it goes beyond the generic nonsense thriller to making a mild statement about the media today. In addition, the cast was fantastic. I couldn't be more relieved that Russell Crowe took over Brad Pitt's role, Pitt would have been a terrible choice. Russell was a much better fit for Cal. However, I kind of wish Edward Norton remained with the role of Senator Collins... Affleck and Crowe didn't have the greatest chemistry. However the many supporting players were fantastic. Rachel McAdams did a fine job. Not exactly the meatiest role but she played the revised role of Della as a young popular blogger greatly. Rachel brought that playful naivety but at the same time made Della intelligent and respectable. Helen Mirren was perfect, and perhaps a little underused. There is also a plethora of strong performances from the minor supporting players. Jason Bateman gave my favorite performance out of all of them, Harry Lennix was another who was underutilized, and Robin Wright Penn continues her reputation as one of the most consistent supporting actresses.

But as a thriller, it really was a fantastic and entertaining movie. I've never seen the BBC series and could only imagine how much better it could be with more time to develop characters and stories, but the film does the best it could and that's enough. It isn't your typical mindless thriller though, which is what I respect about it most. It is paced well but if you don't pay attention you may get lost, but seeing as the film really does keep you on your toes, it shouldn't be that hard. What makes this thriller so much better though is that it makes you think, even after leaving the theater. It isn't just some formulaic story with mindless twists and turns, it's actually saying something about the world today that is very relevant, which not only makes a great thriller, but a great film as well.

I've read some complaints about the ending, but I don't understand what the big deal was. I don't want to give anything away, but I think it's an ending that could be taken in different ways depending on the viewer.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (153 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for State of Play (2009)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Need clarification on the mugging situation TheJigsaw
Mini-series 100% better! linda303
toss this hollywood rubbish in the bin Kiers77
mini series vs movie leonine471
Wish it was Pitt and Norton forceflow_24
Yinzer red95king
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Fugitive Bank Alarm Perfect Stranger Making the Headlines Basic Instinct
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.