Robin Wright Penn
Blu-Ray Review: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck in Thriller ‘State of Play’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 3, 2009 - 9:23am.CHICAGO – I had some issues with “State of Play” in theaters, but it’s an intelligent thriller that is bound to find an audience on DVD and Blu-Ray and the Universal-produced Blu-Ray of the Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck film is an excellent one, the kind of release that can polish a good film and make it nearly great.
Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck Bring Spark to Mediocre ‘State of Play’
Submitted by BrianTT on April 17, 2009 - 12:01am.![]() Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – I’ll be the first critic to tell you that they don’t make adult thrillers often enough. I was very disappointed by the lackluster box office take of Tony Gilroy’s ” Duplicity”. But does that mean that we should give all intellectual mysteries a pass? Of course not. And while I want to love Kevin Macdonald’s “State of Play,” a few poor decisions during production keep it back from being the excellent film it could have been.
Slideshow: 32-Image Gallery For ‘State of Play’ With Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck
Submitted by BrianTT on March 31, 2009 - 9:18am.CHICAGO – This 32-image slideshow contains the press images for Universal’s “State of Play,” starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels and Helen Mirren. Written by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray and directed by Kevin Macdonald, the film opens on Friday, April 17th, 2009.
Blu-Ray Review: Barry Levinson Wastes Great Ensemble in ‘What Just Happened’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 2, 2009 - 1:02pm.![]() Blu-Ray Rating: 2.0/5.0 |
CHICAGO – They made a movie about Bruce Willis’ beard. “What Just Happened” is yet another head-scratcher from one of the more acclaimed directors of the ’80s and ’90s, Barry Levinson. Like “Envy” and “Man of the Year” before it, Levinson has spit out yet another inert comedy with a great ensemble but no passion, creativity or life to it. A mediocre Blu-Ray presentation does nothing to enhance the film.
Robert De Niro, Director Barry Levinson Wade Through Hollywood’s Mud in ‘What Just Happened?’
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on October 17, 2008 - 11:57am.CHICAGO – In his long and distinguished career, Robert De Niro has probably seen it all when it comes to Hollywood excesses and quagmires. Given that experience, he seems the perfect choice to portray an aging film producer and power broker whose influence is on the decline.


