DVDs in Review

State of Play

Title: State of Play (2009)

Release date: September 21 2009

Certificate: 15

Format: Reviewed on DVD, available on Blu-ray

DVD RRP: £19.99

Rating: 4/5

In a heavily condensed version of the highly-acclaimed British miniseries of the same name, director Kevin Macdonald (the man behind 'The Last King of Scotland) has crafted a slick, engrossing little thriller with big name stars.

Russell Crowe (looking a lot like Eddie Vedder) is the messy, old-school newspaper reporter who is battling to clear his old friend's name. He, a politician (Ben Affleck), has got himself involved a scandalous mess after an assistant he was having an affair with dies in mysterious circumstances.

And the winner of the Eddie Vedder lookalike competition is...

The newspaper's editor (a ballsy Helen Mirren) wants it wrapped up neat and tidy, enlisting a young, inexperienced junior (Rachel McAdams) to help with the case. Meanwhile, Robin Wright Penn crops up as the politician's wife, who puts on a brave face, while also pining after the reporter.

It's a complicated set of character lines all tied up well by the starry cast that ensures our attention remains throughout. Aside from the usual high level government conspiracy mumbo-jumbo, 'State of Play' makes a few interesting references to the state of the struggling modern newspaper in the face of online blogs.

Helen Mirren as the editor lamenting over the dying print media

Traditional investigative journalism and hard-copy writing is a dying animal, and Crowe's character is the perfect springboard for the debate while the editor hovers between and McAdams' slick young writer bridges the gap between print and online.

Throw in the odd bit of suspense and conspiracy theories and 'State of Play' is a solid film, if somewhat forgettable. See it for the stars and the tightly scripted roles, but don't expect 'All the President's Men'. This is more online friendly…