This is How Movies Should Be Made

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

A skillful mix of politics and investigative journalism in contemporary Britain, with lots of acting talent on display, "State of Play" is an absorbing and compulsive watch , even spread over 6 hour-long episodes.It starts with a violent murder and attempted murder and soon links up with the earlier apparent suicide of an attractive young female researcher on the team of rising politician David Morrissey whose brief is energy. Freelance journalist John Simms, coincidentally the former campaign manager of Morrissey, gets involved and with a small team of journalists of a national daily newspaper, gradually puts all the pieces together before uncovering the final shocking truth about the death of the young researcher.Although there are plot holes and unlikely coincidences (for instance, of all the people Morrissey's deceived wife turns to in her moment of crisis, she chooses her husband's mate Simm), but with strong individual characters, strong, forward-moving plot and everyday realism it keeps you watching and watching. I would say myself that the ensemble acting probably elevated the story slightly above its station, besides Morrissey and Simm, both very good, there are scene-stealing performances by an emergent James McAvoy as a ruthless young reporter and Bill Nighy as the cynical, world weary editor but who nevertheless sticks his neck out for his team once he realises how juicy the blossoming story is, even if I was never fully convinced that the latter two are father and son.There are also some equally memorable supporting parts too, especially the unfortunate informant Dominic who gets completely screwed over by the team, used up and thrown aside once his usefulness to them ends, the team's young, gay transcriber/recordist, the vengeful but ultimately loyal wife Anne and on the political side, Morrissey's scheming spin doctor and cabinet-level mentor, all very much in the mix. I could however have done without the occasional focus on Morrissey's relationship with his fifteen-going-on-thirty- five, teenage boozer son and found the "grown-up" conversations between father and son not ringing true.Even watched today, over ten years after its initial production, this terse, tense mini-series still feels up-to-date, even if the esteem in which we used to hold the press has been damaged more than somewhat in the meantime.

Scene-by-scene this thriller/drama really sucked me in. Once engaged it was hard to stop watching--it's the movie equivalent of a book you can't put down, since you want to know what is going to happen next. The production values are high in all categories. I particularly liked the framing suitable for wide screen viewing with the characters posed against backgrounds that make great use of color to accentuate the mood.The story of a newspaper reporter digging into a murder that ultimately involves high-level politicos requires close attention but, with a six hour run time, things unfold at a pace that can be digested.The ensemble cast is beyond reproach and Bill Nighy is simply superb in is portrayal of the editor of a large London newspaper. The score is not overly intrusive and it complements the action to engage you emotionally.The problem is that when it was all over I felt a bit letdown. In order to tie up some lose ends I think I could benefit from a second viewing, but the six hour time commitment has prevented my doing so. And maybe my sense of letdown was due to the fact that something that I had enjoyed so much was over.

This BBC TV mini series is so far ahead of the remake released as a theatre movie earlier this year, that it could almost be another piece entirely. OK, maybe that's an unfair comparison as the TV series had 6 hours and the movie had a little over two. But it's telling to make the comparison and take note of what the main differences are, and what they say about the current state of the film industry.The TV series featured an ensemble cast of really good solid actors with a few real stand outs (Bill Nighy, David Morrissey, John Simm, Kelley Macdonald) playing a convincing crew of real characters. The movie is a vehicle for a Big Star (Russell Crowe) with most of the other parts being reduced to stereotypes. The TV series had some well rounded female characters with real lives and real motives and faults – just like the men. The movie has as its women a ball breaking newspaper boss (Helen Mirren), a high glam stick thin side kick for Crowe (Rachel McAdams) and a cardboard cut-out as the wife (Robin Wright Penn). So we have The Bitch, The Cutie and The Fallen Saint – pretty much the usual Hollywood take on women. (Although to be fair, I will add that many of the male characters are played as stereotypes too.) Of particular note is how utterly underwritten is the character of Anne Collins, wife of the straying politician, in the movie version. She is reduced to a very passive role, with very few lines. In the TV series, love her or hate her, this is a woman really enjoying getting her kit off and having a revenge affair.Given that the action and intrigue had to be stuffed into a third of the time, what the movie sacrifices is, of course, the female characters. Unless they are cute. And that just about says it all. The TV series is excellent and rewards extended viewing, and requires a little more than our usual gnat like attention span.

Watched this on the recommendation of a Uni lecturer. I thought it was brilliantly acted, the story was paced perfectly, and understandable despite the complexities (political intrigue not usually my thing). That is at least until the last episode when gaping plot holes appeared and half the characters that had been set up in the last 5 episodes were just forgotten about. I didn't buy the resolution - it came out of nowhere and I wasn't convinced that the person taking the fall was really guilty. Not with what they were charged with anyway. There was no resolution for even some of the major characters (most notably Anne). I felt ripped off.That said, I would watch this again just for the performances. David Morrissey was superb and Bill Nighy is always a great laugh.