State of Play: Plate of Slay?

Premise: Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams play two journalists from different media (print vs. blog) who reluctantly join together to solve a mystery surrounding the death of a congressional staffer who just happens to have been sleeping with her congressman, played by Ben Affleck, who also just happens to be Russell Crowe's character's college roommate.  

Comments:

1. What does "State of Play" mean?  After seeing this movie I still don't know.  It is truly a generic, uninspired title.  Russel Crowe seems to be attracted to projects with names like this. (See, e.g., Body of Lies, A Good Year, Proof of Life).  Some better titles would have been: Intense, Fat, and Long-Haired, or The Government is Run by Douchebags, or Wait, Robin Wright Isn't Good Enough For You? or With Roommates Like Him, Who Needs Enemies! or How To Make Rachel McAdams Fade into the Background.  Yeah, I think those are better.  

2.  The entertainment industry is really having a field day with Blackwater.  A big part of this movie paints them (ahem . . . a fictional representation of them called "PointCorp") as having control over the highest levels of government and stopping at nothing to completely privatize and monopolize the military functions of the U.S.  Meanwhile, on Fox's 24, Blackwater clone "Starkwood" helped manufacture several awful terrorist attacks in one day, all in order to fend off an investigation led by the dad from That 70's Show (or, if you prefer, the villain from Robocop).  I'm not saying they don't deserve the treatment, but I hope Hollywood doesn't get lazy and just make every thriller about how Blackwater wants control over everything. [and we don't want them to get mad . . .  buwaa ha ha ha ha!] 

3. I never thought I would be uttering these words: Ben Affleck should stick to directing.  His congressman is hard to take serious, but it may just be that I can never take him seriously because of his performance in Mallrats.   Meanwhile, Jeff Daniels (of Dumb and Dumber) is totally believable in his role as a government bigwig, reprising that government bigwig assholeness that served him so well in Traitor, and Jason Bateman scums up the place playing a slimy PR guy who's not at all that different from the slimy lawyer he played in Smokin' Aces.  

Recommendation: Not Oscar-bait, but a worthy thriller that (kind of) neatly wraps itself up at the end.  A spirited Russel Crowe performance butressed by great supporting actors (Mirren, Daniels, Bateman).