Glen Wilson/Universal StudiosReview in a Hurry: Read all about it: Greed! Corruption! Muuurder! Russell Crowe headlines as a newspaper reporter investigating corporate foul play. This adaptation of the six-hour BBC series packs plenty of plot—and talk and characters—into two hours. And while often rich, it doesn't reach its full potential.
The Bigger Picture: In many ways, State plays like a good old-fashioned '70s, paranoid political thriller, with tenacious journalists dodging danger while digging for the big story. Here, the contemporary spin features commentaries about defense contractors and the demise of the newspaper biz. (But clearly, some stories—like prominent politicians who can't keep it in their pants—remain timeless.)
Ben Affleck stars as the philandering, up-and-coming Congressman Stephen Collins, who launches a probe into Blackwater-esque PointCorp, a security company raking in billions from the War on Terror. There's more to this military-industrial complex than meets the eye—or so suspects Washington Globe reporter Cal McAffrey (Crowe) after several civilians are murdered, including Collins' mistress/research assistant.
Under the stern eye of his editor (Helen Mirren), Cal partners with fresh-faced blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to track down the killer and uncover the politico-corporate conspiracy.
Even after its rapid-fire opener, the pic keeps the pace clipping, including a tense parking-lot face-off between Cal and a gunman. But State sometimes lays a heavy hand on the trigger: The overbearing soundtrack proves distracting, and all the op-eds—blogs, bad...print journalism, good—start to get soapboxy.
Crowe disappears into the shaggy newshound role, an ink-slinging vet who eschews newfangled technology for an ancient computer and a sensible car. Though his slob in a Saab establishes a lively rapport with Della, their relationship never rises above the standard pro-and-rookie treatment.
Affleck, not quite credible as Cal's friend and former college roommate, works too hard in several key scenes. But other actors impress in supporting turns, including regal Mirren, Jason Bateman as a sleazy publicist and Jeff Daniels as an unctuous legislator.
The 180—a Second Opinion: Pick another flick if you dislike glowering Crowe and his bad-boy rep. The way he wields his phone, you half-expect him to hurl it at an unwilling source.