7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party's contender for the upcoming presidential race. Until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jason BatemanCrime | 100% |
Thriller | 88% |
Drama | 53% |
Mystery | 20% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
America is no stranger to political scandal. Long gone are the days when people placed their faith in the men and women elected to represent their interests. Today's 24-hour cable news cycle uncovers every indiscretion, every sin, and every shady deal that tarnishes the political arena, and loops it, ad nauseam, until another foolish senator is caught engaging in something more vile than the last. Politicians have lost their way, the media has become little more than a roving pack of insatiable jackals, and the entire adversarial monstrosity has begun to sustain itself with its own perverse propaganda, effectively transforming each and every viewer and voter into a disgruntled citizen and disillusioned cynic. Is it any wonder then that even a sharply written, unpredictable thriller like director Kevin Macdonald's State of Play feels so intensely familiar?
Crowe delivers an impassioned performance that would make Redford and Hoffman proud...
Produced from high-quality digital intermediate files, State of Play's striking 1080p/VC-1 transfer is a technical beauty. Yes, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto's color palette is restrained and, yes, MacDonald's grim-grainy-n-sometimes-gritty vision of Washington isn't as easy on the eyes as other, shinier Hollywood productions, but the presentation itself captures everything Prieto and MacDonald intended their audience to see, from the tiny wrinkles on Congressman Collins' shirts to the grizzled stubble spilling down McAffrey's chin. Each and every frame is packed with detail -- the news room is brimming with paper clippings, print-outs, and legible on-screen text, Fergus' office is awash with natural edges and rich textures, and the bustling kitchen and crowded menu board of Ben's Chili Bowl diner (a must-visit D.C. locale that serves the best Chili Half-Smoke on the East Coast) represents the sort of reach-out-and-munch-it-all perfection I expect from every high definition presentation. Best of all, black levels are deep, delineation is relatively revealing, contrast is strong, and dimensionality is, dare I say, impeccable.
The technical transfer is proficient as well. Artifacting, banding, noise reduction, aliasing, and edge enhancement are MIA, and crush, while still a factor from time to time, doesn't undermine the integrity of the image. Softness affects a few shots, sure, but it all traces back to MacDonald's directorial decisions, not to Universal's admirable efforts. Simply put, State of Play looks fantastic. Fans, newcomers, and videophiles alike will be thoroughly pleased with the results.
State of Play is a chatty, conversational film, and Universal's efficient DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track follows suit. Dialogue is clean and weighty, nesting nicely in the center channel and drifting around the immersive soundfield when necessary. Voices are warm, crisp, and perfectly prioritized, even when joined by the chattering denizens of a local diner, a noisy news room, or a heated congressional hearing. Interior acoustics are incredibly effective -- apartments, meeting halls, and conference rooms have distinct personalities -- and ambience, while subdued on occasion, is persistent and commendable. LFE output isn't going to wake the neighbors, but still makes several notable appearances (even though the majority of them involve the film's lumbering musical score). Likewise, the track's directional effects aren't aggressive enough to trick listeners into glancing over their shoulders, but channel pans and spatial accuracy are impressive (particularly for a flick populated with so many hushed exchanges). All things considered, State of Play's DTS-HD MA mix neatly and easily fields everything MacDonald tosses its way.
Unlike the standard DVD, the Blu-ray edition of State of Play features a solid chunk of supplemental content, primarily in the form of an exclusive U-Control Picture-in-Picture production track. A traditional audio commentary would have certainly improved matters -- I would have liked to hear from director Kevin MacDonald more than I did -- but fans of the film, particularly of its actors and their performances, will find a lot to love about this polished supplemental package.
While it suffers from one twist too many, State of Play is a stirring, at-times thrilling exploration of the shift of modern media power, the precarious relationship between politicians and journalists, and attempts from both camps to manipulate and color the truth. It isn't as involving or complex as the original BBC miniseries, but as feature film adaptations go, it rarely falters. Universal's Blu-ray release is just as satisfying, offering an excellent, exceedingly faithful video transfer, a proficient DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a decent helping of supplemental content. Ultimately, it's a rewarding, well-produced disc from Universal that deserves to find a comfortable spot in your collection.
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