State of Play

[Frank_Ridgeway]

Saw it last night. Decent newspaper movie with some conflict between old-school reporter and new-school blogger.

This is interesting, too:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/10/AR2009041000056_pf.html

 

[imjustagirl]

Frank, that link is great. I loved this part:

During his first tour of the newsroom set, he appeared jet-lagged and didn't ask many questions. A few days later, on camera, he ad-libbed a perfect line aimed at McAdams's character: "I've been here 15 years, I've got a 16-year-old computer. She's been here 15 minutes and she's got enough gear to launch a [expletive] satellite." He had noticed that the Globe's online staff enjoyed snazzy new technology while the print reporters typed on clunky old equipment. Somehow, without a hint from me, he picked up on a gripe you would hear in any print newsroom.

 

[JakeandElwood]

Sweet. This thread (especially that great link) has inspired me to go see this tonight.

 

[dreunc1542]

I'm hoping to see this at some point this week. Looks like a solid flick, especially for this early in the year.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Here's something from AP critic Christy Lemire's review that we all might find interesting:<blockquote>But it also turns out to be a fond homage to old-school journalism, and it plays like a eulogy for a sadly dying industry.

That's especially true of the footage that rolls during the closing credits: the printing, packaging and shipping out of a big-city newspaper. The images may seem mundane, but they also evoke nostalgia for a more optimistic, prosperous time - especially for those of us who work in this business.</blockquote>

 

[Small Town Guy]

Saw it last night and enjoyed it quite a bit. But the most amusing moment of the night was during the previews. Some movie called The Informers, Billy Bob and a few other names are in it. At the end as it's listing who will be in this blockbuster flashes the name BRAD RENFRO.

The thing must have been in distribution or editing hell.

As for the movie, Crowe is really good, just like pretty much everything he's in. Affleck sort of has to play a stiff character, but the difference in acting skills between those two is striking.

 

[sirvaliantbrown]

The British miniseries was excellent, even though the plot was kind of ridiculous sometimes.

 

[Big Circus]

The Onion's AV Club reviewed it this week and the abstract was this:

A modern-day All The President’s Men salutes print journalism on its way out the door.

Ouch. The closing-credits montage was described as "the print equivalent of that terrible late-period Soul Asylum video that waxes nostalgic over CD manufacturing," which made me giggle. What video was that?

 

[pallister]

I can't go see any movie with Ben Affleck in it.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I can't go see any movie with Ben Affleck in it.

Then you missed Smokin' Aces, which was awesome.

 

[imjustagirl]

Smokin' Aces was easily the most overblown piece of **** I've ever seen.

Ever.

Pointless, waste of time, and a complete waste of Ryan Reynolds AND Alicia Keys. Horrid.

And I WATCHED IT WITH YOU!!!

 

[pallister]

I rented it before knowing he was in it. So I did see it, and Affleck's part didn't last long.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Smokin' Aces was easily the most overblown piece of **** I've ever seen.

Ever.

Pointless, waste of time, and a complete waste of Ryan Reynolds AND Alicia Keys. Horrid.

And I WATCHED IT WITH YOU!!!

So that's yet another piece of pop culture we have entirely opposite opinions on, then? :D

 

[JakeandElwood]

I loved this movie. The credits had that nostalgic feel for me too.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Didn't do nearly enough with Helen Mirren's character, but good film.

 

[-Scoop-]

Awesome film. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and newspaper men and women will love it. Crowe was superb, and Mirren was excellent. I agree that they did not do enough with her character.

 

[cranberry]

I can't go see any movie with Ben Affleck in it.

Good instincts. I thought it was trite and predictable, as well as poorly written and ill-conceived. Russell Crowe is a walking, talking cliche in his role as the earthy, tweed-wearing, hard-drinking, ****ing-the-politican's-wife veteran reporter. They did nothing with Helen Mirren in her Katherine Graham role. Just disappointing from beginning to end. I knew within the first 10 minutes that I should have seen the Seth Rogen movie instead.

 

[finishthehat]

Oh, man....hate to be That Guy, but I found it to be filled with cliches. My wife and I were laughing out loud at some of them, but we were in a weird mood to begin with.

Nothing major, just stuff like both of us betting if we ever got to see Crowe's apartment it would look like...pretty much exactly like it looked in the movie.

I did love Jason Bateman's bit part.

Edit: I hadn't read Cranberry's take, so he gets full credit for being That Guy first.

 

[JackReacher]

Frank, that link is great. I loved this part:

During his first tour of the newsroom set, he appeared jet-lagged and didn't ask many questions. A few days later, on camera, he ad-libbed a perfect line aimed at McAdams's character: "I've been here 15 years, I've got a 16-year-old computer. She's been here 15 minutes and she's got enough gear to launch a [expletive] satellite." He had noticed that the Globe's online staff enjoyed snazzy new technology while the print reporters typed on clunky old equipment. Somehow, without a hint from me, he picked up on a gripe you would hear in any print newsroom.

That part was, indeed, pretty awesome. The entire story is great. I've wanted to see this for a while. Now, I REALLY want to see it.

 

[shockey]

Smokin' Aces was easily the most overblown piece of **** I've ever seen.

Ever.

what a shocker!! ijag and i disagree!! :o :o :o