Product: State Of Play (2008)
Rating: 5.0
The movie was good, but this is better.
I saw Kevin MacDonald's film of "State of Play" before I saw the BBC miniseries on which it was based. The movie is very good, but the miniseries--with its more clearly delineated characters and its greater sense of tragedy--has to be one of the best television shows I have ever seen. Paul Abbott's writing is a marvel, combining an intricate yet coherent plot with dazzling dialogue. The acting is also first-rate; I had never seen the show's stars, John Simm and David Morrissey, in anything before, but I certainly hope to do so again. The supporting cast, meanwhile, is stuffed with many of my British Rep favorites--Bill Nighy, Kelly Macdonald, James McAvoy, Polly Walker--and they are as wonderful as ever. This version of "State of Play" is not only superior to the movie, but in my opinion stands with "All the President's Men" and "Nothing But the Truth" as the best screen delineation ever of the uneasy relationship between journalism and politics.