Hollywood's Tribute to the Printed Word

With evocative dramatics and acuity, "State of Play," based on a British miniseries of the same name, is an investigative journalism procedural that represents an ode to the dying print industry. There's even a montage that elaborates on the running of the presses. The movie's efficient storytelling, powerful performances, and clever plotline make it worth seeing independent of its British import; the elegiac illustration of the print industry makes it a timely if mournful adaptation of journalism's transition to a more technological age.