STATE OF PLAY

RYAN: “State of Play” is the best film of the year so far.

CAROLINE: Easily. It has a stellar cast, and it’s based on a popular BBC mini-series that I’ve always meant to watch on DVD.

RYAN: The great thing about the cast is that it’s revealed slowly as the movie goes on. We all knew about Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren, but then later, you’re like, “Wow, I didn’t know Jason Bateman was in this!” And I love Rachel McAdams. She’s one of our all-time favorites.

CAROLINE: Her hair isn’t the best in this movie, but it’s OK because she’s still adorable. Helen Mirren is fab, as is Russell. He’s so convincing and he always does a great American accent. And who knew Jeff Daniels was in it? He doesn’t have a huge part, but I’m starting to think he’s great in pretty much everything he does.

RYAN: And don’t forget about Oscar nominee Viola Davis.

CAROLINE: She has a teeny tiny part, but yes, she’s there too.

RYAN: This movie is very smart and it always kept me on the edge of my seat. In fact, there was one scene that made my adrenaline pump so hard that I turned to you and said, “OMG I’m burning calories.”

CAROLINE: Yes, you did, and I laughed. The movie is very suspenseful and what I really liked that it was clever, interesting and even political without being uber-confusing. There were one or two moments where I got a little lost, but I was able to pick it up again quickly; unlike some lesser movies we’ve seen lately – hello, “Duplicity.”

RYAN: Ben Affleck also did a good job playing a congressman. It was an interesting choice of role for him since there have been rumors that he’s toying with the idea of a political career someday. Playing a politician was a wise choice. As far as his looks though, his hair is kind of weird. They tried to gray his sideburns and it just looks awkward. Also, he’s got a very deep crease in the center of his forehead that was there for the whole movie.

CAROLINE: Well, at least we know he’s not Botox-ing.

RYAN: Russell Crowe is fat and his hair makes him look like the adult version of the kid from “Almost Famous.” He’s also kind of a low talker at the beginning of the film. I wanted to be like, “Russell, you’re in a movie – speak up!”

CAROLINE: Whatever. I thought he was amazing in this role.

RYAN: Helen Mirren was kind of like the “Devil Wears Prada” boss except at a newspaper. It’s similar to the role she played in “Raising Helen.”

CAROLINE: Nobody saw that movie except you and me.

— BOTTOM LINE —

CAROLINE: I really liked this movie, which makes me happy because I was highly anticipating it. It’s always nice to see a movie that doesn’t disappoint. It’s a smart thriller that everyone can enjoy.

RYAN: I agree, though I think it peaked about five-eighths of the way through. The climax wasn’t that great.

CAROLINE: I see what you’re saying. The first two-thirds of the movie was probably better than the last third.

RYAN: Overall though, it’s a very exciting movie that’s good for an adult audience. I don’t know if high school kids will enjoy it; but other than that, it’s got a great cast and I’d definitely recommend it.

— RATING —