64
Metascore
36 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanSpins a thorny tale of political corruption laced with personal sleaze.
- 88Charlotte ObserverCharlotte ObserverAs dense as a Watergate-era newspaper and as immediate as a blog, State of Play is an absolutely riveting state-of-the-art "big conspiracy" thriller.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThere's no question that State of Play feels a little rushed and the density of plot can be daunting, but the resulting tale unfolds with an urgency and sense of verisimilitude that will keep most viewers intrigued and involved without losing many along the way.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe movie never quite attains altitude. It has a great takeoff, levels nicely, and then seems to land on autopilot. Maybe it's the problem of resolving so much plot in a finite length of time, but it seems a little too facile toward the end.
- 75Miami HeraldConnie OgleMiami HeraldConnie OgleCo-written by Tony Gilroy, who penned the tricky "Michael Clayton" and the even trickier "Duplicity," State of Play displays its savvy without being quite so showy.
- 70VarietyTodd McCarthyVarietyTodd McCarthyIn the end, though, it's Crowe who must carry the most freight, which he does with another characterization to relish. Still bulky, although not as much so as in "Body of Lies," long-tressed and somewhat grizzled, he finds the gist of the affable eccentricity, natural obsessiveness and mainstream contrarianism that marks many professional journalists.
- 67Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesAustin ChronicleKimberley JonesIt neither embarrasses the original, nor is superior to it in any way.
- 60New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinIt's tricky, it's surprising, and it's largely faithful to the original mini-series, but in context it's a nonevent. It's like a time bomb that's never dismantled but never explodes. The movie is good enough that the ending leaves you … not angry, exactly. Unfulfilled.
- 60Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanAn effectively involving journalism-cum-conspiracy yarn with a bang-bang opening and a frantic closer.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThere is nothing we haven't seen here before in terms of chases, intrigue and betrayals, so for all its A-list cast and production values, the film comes off as routine.