State of Play is a very good film that truly comes alive the second hour of the film at approximately the 61st minute in a hallway then parking garage. Russell doing what he does best not being Russell, but a scared ‘shitless’ Cal. The fear so palpable , a chill ran down my spine to my toes , Russell’s genius as an actor in full view making this scene so real there is no acting, there just ‘is’. Russell looks frightened. There is no question he is scared for his life and no one can convince me otherwise. Bravo Russell. Amazing and mesmerizing!!

For many, the film may start minute one, as a lot is set up in that first hour. Word to the wise, though, and a lesson to learn: I feel handicapped. I watched and loved the BBC miniseries version of State of Play, so much so that the first hour of the cinematic release felt long and slow. That’s my own doing.  From a distance, four hours out of the film, I can find nothing negative to say. The film gripping and surprising (and I knew much of the direction the film would take).

This is a film to see. The casting is superb. No one disappoints. I would have loved to have seen more of Dominic Foy, played masterfully by Jason Bateman, but his scenes served their purpose and any more would have been extraneous. He was just wonderful. Helen Mirren, non nurturing soul that she is in State of Play, has some of the movies best lines, one being ‘nice cup of cocoa’ which out of context sounds like absolutely nothing. Within, wonderful.

Looking back:
While watching filming of State of Play in two locations, the Scottish Rites Temple and then The Watergate, it’s amazing what didn’t make it into the film, as much does end up on the cutting room floor for many a film. I could not spy any of the scenes filmed at The Watergate in any of the footage, but that may take another viewing. The Scottish Rites Temple footage was all of a couple seconds, if that. I was bemused just how quiet a scene that was when filmed, looking forward to seeing that expanded to a louder conversation scene in the theatre. No such luck. Still, that couple of seconds proved what a beautiful place Washington, DC can be.

This is the city I have come to know and love, and seeing it treated so normally and in such expanse was delightful. (A shout out to Ben’s Chili Bowl.) I had to laugh at the shot of the traffic merge of Route 50 and 66, coming from Northern Virginia into DC, that traffic so normal(ly backed up).

Scottish Rites Temple:
Russell, Keith and crowd in foreground, temple and marching band in background

Scottish Rites Temple in background with marching band on steps. Russell, Keith, and Mickey – cropped version of a much more(!) distant photo. (I know the rules. ;))


I do have to laugh though for those of us who play where’s Mickey and where’s Keith, HERE they are.

Extras (from the best of my memory, who were filmed watching the marching band):

Camera filming:


Moving film from Scottish Rites Temple to the Watergate

Chairs (taken with iPhone):

Note the jacket. J This is a picture of a mother who had wanted her daughter to be part of the crowd scene but that did not happen.

Watergate:
Cal’s car next to the Watergate. (taken with iPhone)



Watergate (taken with iPhone):