State of Play

[dangermousie]

While waiting for the latest Battlestar Galactica ep to...ahem, and with Mr. Mousie wanting to watch something together (thus CfY being out), we ended up watching the first episode of the British series State of Play, starring John Simm and David Morrisey.

Simm is a journalist friend of a rising young MP (Morrisey) who gets involved in investigating the murder of a researcher with whom the MP was having an affair.

So far, it's brilliant.

The thought of being remade into a Hollywood movie pisses me off. Fine, I suppose I can see Russell Crowe as Simm's character but WTF! They cast Ben 'I can't act and look like a man who hits on drunk girls in bars' Affleck as Morrisey's character. WTF! One of the huge points of the story is that we are sympathetic to and like Morrisey's character but Affleck just comes across as a grab-bag of sleaze. Not to mention the sheer difference that Morrisey is a good actor and Affleck is...well...not. Norton, whom they initially cast, would have been awesome, but this? Ugh.

I shall erase the foul taste by watching more of the original...

Comments

[arathesane.livejournal.com]

I just watched State of Play not long ago, it was so bloody brilliant. I hate that it is being re-made into an American movie, I like Crowe in general but I still think it is a bad idea. and the idea of Affleck in David Morrissey's role is absurd and laughable. really, I wish he would stick to directing, Gone, Baby, Gone was a pretty good movie.

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

I really want to see this, but always seem to miss it when it is on. I love Simm and Morrissey so really I should make more of an effort. I did read somewhere that they were redoing it for Hollywood, and I suppose I can handle Crowe (for all the bad stuff, he is a great actor), but I'm on the same page as you when it comes to Affleck. Norton would have been a vast improvement.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

State of Play is so good! Mr Angst - John Simm at his best but the rest of the cast is great too. The story never wavers and the ending is brilliant. I've been meaning to get the DVD box for ages so I can re-watch it. I'm looking forward to your thoughts about the rest of it.

[fire-snake.livejournal.com]

Funny, I see Russell Crowe in exactly the opposite role. I think that he would have made a perfect Morrisey. I can see somebody like Ed Norton playing the journalist. I think that for the dynamics to work, it would have to be somebody very good, but understated. Russell Crowe overwhelms the screen, no matter what role he is casted in (even in L.A. Confidential he made all others fade once he appeared in the scene). One of the twists of SoP is that it is essentially a deconstruction of the hero narration, not a battle of the titans. Can you imagine how unbalanced (or, vice versa, completely balanced) it would appear if both protagonists were represented by scene-stealing actors?
BTW, Bratt Pitt pulled out of the project. It was in the news a few months ago. It is not clear at this point if the project will continue.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Crowe replaced Pitt and when Norton dropped out they stuck Affleck into the role. They were filming here recently, actually. So unfortunately, the project is still on.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

So far, this is amazing.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Do you need dl links?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The thought of it being remade makes me RAGEFUL

[fire-snake.livejournal.com]

Sucks! I don't like it already. It will give a completely different feel to the story: a courageous and upstanding Pulitzer winning journalist against a sleazeball of a politician. SoP is much more nuanced than that.

[arathesane.livejournal.com]

yeah, it actually makes me a little sick to my stomach because I know it won't be as complex or as nuanced as the miniseries. blergh.

(that's my usual "this pisses me off" icon, I'm not trying to shoot birds at you!)

[artic-fox.livejournal.com]

Nope, I know where to find it - just have a data cap to work around :) But thanks for the offer.