88
As dense as a Watergate-era newspaper and as immediate as a blog, State of Play is an absolutely riveting state-of-the-art "big conspiracy" thriller.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
75
Co-written by Tony Gilroy, who penned the tricky "Michael Clayton" and the even trickier "Duplicity," State of Play displays its savvy without being quite so showy.
60
New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein
It's tricky, it's surprising, and it's largely faithful to the original mini-series, but in context it's a nonevent. It's like a time bomb that's never dismantled but never explodes. The movie is good enough that the ending leaves you … not angry, exactly. Unfulfilled.
60
An effectively involving journalism-cum-conspiracy yarn with a bang-bang opening and a frantic closer.
75
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
There's no question that State of Play feels a little rushed and the density of plot can be daunting, but the resulting tale unfolds with an urgency and sense of verisimilitude that will keep most viewers intrigued and involved without losing many along the way.
67
Austin Chronicle by Kimberley Jones
It neither embarrasses the original, nor is superior to it in any way.
50
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
There is nothing we haven't seen here before in terms of chases, intrigue and betrayals, so for all its A-list cast and production values, the film comes off as routine.
91
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
Spins a thorny tale of political corruption laced with personal sleaze.
75
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
The movie never quite attains altitude. It has a great takeoff, levels nicely, and then seems to land on autopilot. Maybe it's the problem of resolving so much plot in a finite length of time, but it seems a little too facile toward the end.
70
In the end, though, it's Crowe who must carry the most freight, which he does with another characterization to relish. Still bulky, although not as much so as in "Body of Lies," long-tressed and somewhat grizzled, he finds the gist of the affable eccentricity, natural obsessiveness and mainstream contrarianism that marks many professional journalists.