Deborah Ross

Dodgy dealings

State of Play<br /> 12A, Nationwide

issue 25 April 2009

State of Play
12A, Nationwide

State of Play is a thriller based on the six-part BBC series shown on television in 2003 and which, I confess, I did not see. Probably, it was because What Not To Wear was on the other side and, I’m sorry, I just wouldn’t have had the confidence to know what not to wear if I’d missed it. Anyway, the action has been shifted from London to Washington, the length has been shrunk to two hours and it stars Russell Crowe as Cal McAffrey, an old-school investigative journalist who is also wearily righteous, as these characters so often are. Further, he drives a dirty, scruffy, old banger with a lot of rubbish piled up on the back seat — newspapers; empty coffee cups; crumpled fast-food wrappers — but you didn’t need me to tell you that either, did you?

So, what’s the deal? OK, it all kicks off when a congressman’s beautiful, sexy researcher is pushed under a subway train.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in