Confidently-mounted conspiracy thriller adapted from Paul Abbott's miniseries and relocated to Washington. When Congressman Stephen Collins' (Ben Affleck) mistress and research assistant Sonia Baker is found dead in an apparent suicide, his former college buddy Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), a grizzled reporter for The Washington Post investigates the circumstances of the death. Along with eager young reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), Cal uncovers a link between Sonia's death and two other murders carried out the night before.
Whilst Kevin Macdonald's follow-up to The Last King Of Scotland doesn't offer any surprises, it delivers of almost every other level. A tight script, excellent cinematography and solid performances all help to make this a solid entry in a crowded genre. There were a few story elements that I'd have prefered to see teased out a little more: the differing reporting styles of oldschool McAffrey and earnest blogger Frye, the friendship between Collins and McAffrey. The score can also be, at times, a little over-insistent. These minor quibbles aside though, this is exciting, pacy stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment