Who thought a movie about journalism could be so exciting?

...Or that Russell Crowe could be that chubby? State of Play (2009) is an action packed, mind boggling thriller that is smart, well-cast/acted, and about politics.

The story is about a politician, his journalist friend, and the love polygons that eventually lead to a murder. And guess who does the principle investigating? Certainly not the cops...it is the journalists! This story of betrayals and friendships will keep you guessing until the end (unless you've seen it already).

I was thoroughly impressed with the story, the amount of action, and the acting. The music didn't stand out, but I'm sure it added to the suspense. Finally, this story could really happen. That impressed me the most. The only thing this film doesn't have is staying power. Because the story is so suspenseful, one needs to wait a long time after he/she sees it to see it again...otherwise you lose that unexpected feeling in the pit of your stomach.

State of Play runs 128 minutes and is rated PG-13. I would follow the MPAA on this one...only watch with 13-year-olds or older: this movie is too smart for some younger kids and has enough language. I give it 8 ramheads out of 10.

He throws phones and kicks butt....

Most people remember when Russell Crowe threw a phone at a housekeeping worker at a hotel. That was really funny, but kind of a letdown. Russell Crowe is a tremendous actor and I hope he lives a good life off screen. Gladiator, however, was no letdown.

This film also co-stars Jacquin Phoenix, who went AWOL with acting and had an awkward experience on Letterman in February. Phoenix is a great actor and does an awesome job as the villain in this film, and you really hate him.

The story was severely entertaining and superbly written. There was action a-plenty. The acting was near perfect. Hans Zimmer's music is tremendous (but weirdly Pirate-esque). The special effects were seamless, especially when you realize that this film was released almost 10 years ago.

I had only one problem with this film. There are a few lines here and there that are mumbled and quiet that I had to rewind and listen to again (sometimes 3 times). That got to be a little annoying.

This film is an epic. It is rated R (i'm sure for violence) so any desensitized kid is ok watching it. I wouldn't recommend it, but if they are already messed up with video game violence, this film won't hurt any. It runs 155 minutes (unless you get the extended version on DVD). I give this really cool film 9 ramheads out of 10.