The story's the other thing
‘State of Play’ is as much a POLITICAL THRILLER as the story of A rapidly evolving institution
By Lisa Miller 04/23/2009
Once upon a time, journalists swore fidelity to one thing only — the story. Representing the rumpled reporter holding his cards close to the vest, Russell Crowe inhabits Cal McAffrey of the Washington Globe. Cal practically lives in a shrinking cubicle papered with news clippings, Post-It notes and folders stacked knee-high. He is among the last of the traditionalists, one of a dwindling few writing solely for the paper’s venerated print edition.
In the wake of a mysterious death and unfolding sex scandal, editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) demands Cal produce a story, and fast, because the paper is now owned by one of the consortiums turning news into infotainment. She attempts to jolt Cal into reality, comparing his long process of research, verification and fact-collating to the output of Della Frye, a recently hired blogger played by Rachel McAdams, who is “smart, and posts copy every hour,” as Cameron admonishes Cal.
Thus, “State of Play,” a film aspiring to be a political thriller, sets up a more immediate quandary than the mystery chosen as its focal point. The changes taking place at our nation’s newspapers function as the backdrop to Cal’s assignment, but the struggle to preserve good reporting is one that speaks to the news consumer in all of us.
Cal appears to consider these factors when Cameron commands him to take a partner in pursuit of the story. He chooses Della rather than a more seasoned head. Cal’s reasons include retaining control over the investigative reporting, but he also appears interested in passing on his craft to the next generation. At first Della is treated as Cal’s underling, but as she learns the value of verifying rather than jumping to conclusions, her stature with Cal grows.
The film, adapted from a six-part BBC mini-series, had the opportunity to take us inside Della’s metamorphosis from blogger to real journalist, but her conversion happens too quickly to register.
Cal’s ability to sniff out false leads soon persuades his editor that good things might be worth waiting for, but since editors are enslaved by corporate needs, his victory is a temporary reprieve. Also glossed over are investigative methods that combine trickery and deceit. Most troubling, Cal’s editor Cameron vetoes informing police when new information regarding a murder is uncovered — lest sharing this clue ruin their scoop.
Payoffs and private companies hoping to take over government functions inform a conspiracy that reaches out to encompass a young US congressman, played blankly by Ben Affleck, and his wife, played intelligently by Robin Wright Penn. Jason Bateman humorously weighs in as an unctuous PR man and Jeff Daniels does a skin-crawling turn as an elder statesman.
The film addresses the obstacle posed by Cal’s longtime friendship with the congressman and his romantic ties to the congressman’s wife. While these relationships do not alter Cal’s commitment to the story, they cloud his judgment.
Interesting as the facts of the case can be, they fail to upstage the real source of our fascination — a newspaper’s determined efforts to bring an exposé to press. In its final scenes, the film shows us each stage of preparing and printing a newspaper with an unfussy flair. Concluding the film with this process seems to acknowledge our love of the printed form — even as we drift away from it.
Many of us still enjoy kicking back with our newspaper and a cup of coffee, but our connection to the printed page is slipping. Before it’s gone entirely, let’s roll up our sleeves and get inky with it.
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