Playtime - Solid, Liquid or Gas?

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State of Play

As stated in the previous blog, I went to see this movie on the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend with my friends Ngiammy and Kemal, and the general consensus was that it was a good movie.

Now let me preface this review by stating that going to see this movie was my idea, it was my choice over Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation, or anything else that might've been on at that particular time. So I hoped that it would be more successful than the last time I decided to pick the movie we would go watch, which was on my birthday and we saw Knowing. Enough said.

Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams were the main stars in this political conspiracy-ey type film, and to begin with the plot, it was generally very well written, with a tight if slightly restrained storyline that kept tension very well and did not have too many plotholes. There was a clear sense of direction and they did not stray too far from the overarching plan, which was a great strength as it ensured that the viewers were interested in what happened, and it gave time for the main characters to explored in depth, as well as the relationships between these said protagonists and not-so-pro tagonists.

Cal and Della's relationship was probably the highlight for me, as the evolution of what was originally a relationship filled with ignorance and apathy turned into one of close respect and trust, as they both grew to know the values of each other and what they both stood for as journalists. And that was something else that I found interesting. The juxtaposition between the sort of old-school journalist that Crowe portrayed was highlighted because of the fact that Della was a new-agey type internet blogger. In a world where everything, including the media seems to be getting nicreasingly revolutionised through globalisation, where does this leave journalism?

Furthermore, the area of private military contractors and corruption in the highest echelons of the armed forces but also the representative congressmen who are either for or against increased military involvement proved to be a fascinating backdrop in this story. Pointcorp is the line of defense, Yes, but who will protect us from them? What is the price of defense? How much do the public really know about the true state of affairs?

These questions supplement the well-written script, which had moments of humour that weren't too forced and were genuinely funny. The only problem I had with it plot-wise was the fact that they threw in one last twist for the sake of a twist. It was surprising that went that route because I would've been much more satisfied if it was the wife of Congressman Collins that was in on the whole conspiracy as opposed to another 'henchman-gone-amok' epiphany. It didn't really leave me too satisfied and perhaps another minor criticism was more of a missed opportunity. They were going so well into making a thematic film without chucking in a reference or references to a non-platonic relationship. I'm glad it didn't develop explicitly between Cal and Della, but I really wish the past affair with Collin's wife was not included at all, since there was no sort of resolution in the matter, it really wasn't all too important, and quite frankly it probably made it less likely that a guy like Cal would be friends with Congressman Collins.

Otherwise the plot was well-written and admirable. The acting was generally very well done, with Crowe pulling off a solid performance, and most of the main and supporting cast also pulling off convincing roles in their characters. The music was all right, I loved it especially near the end, although I guess it made me feel like something more dramatic was going to happen than what actually did. Oh well, not the music's fault I guess.

Overall, I thought 'State of Play' was enjoyable and a strong movie.

7.5/10

Also, I'll publish Episode 2 of 'Origin' once the Second Puzzle has been solved.

Till next time, may you agglomerate all your unpremeditated contemplations.