by Allan Fish
(UK 2003 350m) DVD2
A missing silver briefcase
p Hilary Bevan Jones d David Yates w Paul Abbott ph Chris Seager ed Mark Day m Nicholas Hooper art Donal Woods
David Morrissey (Stephen Collins), John Simm (Cal McCaffrey), Kelly MacDonald (Della Smith), Bill Nighy (Cameron Foster), Polly Walker (Anne Collins), Amelia Bullmore (Helen Preger), James McAvoy (Dan Foster), Philip Glenister (DCI William Bell), Marc Warren (Dominic Foy), Michael Feast (Andrew Wilson), Benedict Wong (Pete Cheng), Geraldine James (Yvonne Shaps), Sean Gilder (Sgt. “Chewy” Cheweski), Tom Burke (Syd), Shauna McDonald (Sonia Baker), David Ryall,
Just watching State of Play again reminds one of just how incestuous British television drama is. Never mind the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, they should rename that game the Two Degrees of John Simm. Just one look through the cast – Simm, Morrissey, Nighy, McDonald, Glenister, Warren, it’s like a who’s who of contemporary drama. Only Jodhi May, David Tennant, Sarah Parish and David Bradley are missing, but all of the above are very much part of the merry-go-round. Take Morrissey, who following this had arguably his best role as Ripley Holden in Blackpool, opposite David Tennant, whose adversary as Doctor Who, The Master, was reincarnated as John Simm, who appeared with David Morrissey… Arthur Schnitzler would give off a wry smile.
State of Play follows the ramification of the seemingly unconnected deaths of a 15 year old black youth and a twenty-something parliamentary research assistant on the same London morning. It transpires that up and coming cabinet tipped MP Stephen Collins was having an affair with the deceased woman, and at this time he renews acquaintance with Cal McCaffrey, an old friend and campaign manager now working as a journalist for famous editor Cameron Foster. The problem is that a phone call took place twixt the two seemingly unconnected victims on the fateful morning in question, and it becomes a race to see whether the police or Fleet Street get to the truth first.
Six years on the chances of a second series seem rather slim at best, not least because rumours have persisted that the plot outline was rejected as too close to the bone for the BBC head brass. Furthermore, writer Paul Abbott has been consumed with his beloved scallys, The Gallaghers, in Channel 4’s Shameless (in which McAvoy and Gilder also appeared – see what I mean?); but, funny though that is, it’s this series he should be remembered for. A superbly written piece that analyses the corridors of power as accurately as anyone has since House of Cards, while, though perhaps a little cosy in its likeable characters, the feel of a Fleet Street news office is superbly evoked. There’s no dazzling technical accomplishment here, merely an exercise in controlled direction, superb ensemble acting and terse, thrilling and characteristically funny scripting.
At the centre of all those connections, and at the moral centre of the drama, Simm is again his usual dependable, reliable everyman self, probably the best in his long line of working class antiheroes stretching from The Lakes to Sex Traffic. You can see the anguish in his face, and feel his split loyalty to his old friend and his employer. On the other side of the fence we have the excellent Morrissey, perfect as the morally ambiguous ambitious political aspirant whose life has spiralled out of control. McDonald is the perfect smart but somehow too idealistic assistant, while Glenister is his reliably solid self as the investigating policeman, jut one step away from his signature seventies copper Gene Hunt (see, we’re back to John Simm again). Then there’s the inimitable, craggy face of Bill Nighy, as the boss any budding reporter would kill for. If I had to pick a stand-out, unfair though it is, it would have to be Marc Warren, as gay in denial Dominic Foy, a fall guy for all time who might just have his own personal cloud perpetually suspended over his head; one of the great supporting roles in TV drama. If the ending doesn’t entirely satisfy, you’d be pernickety to knock it, for this is as good as political thrillers get. Forget the 2009 Hollywood remake; always go for the original.
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Hi! Allan Fish,
I didn’t know that the current 2009 film “State of Play” was a remake of a British television series?!?… 😕 show.
….Allan said, “Forget the 2009 Hollywood remake; always go for the original.”
Thank-you! Thank-you! very much!
Allan Fish, due to a format change the 2009 film is what I plan to promote first…
…But, in all “fairness” Allan, I have to watch both versions of this films/series.
Before I formulate an opinion about which film I would prefer to watch. But, I have to admit that the “trailer” for the 2009 film State of Play looks great!
P.S. Right you are!…. about the multi-region Dvd player.
Deedee 😉
Just A Slight Correction:
But, in all “fairness” Allan, I have to watch both versions. Before I formulate an opinion about which film I would prefer to watch, but I have to admit that the “trailer” for the 2009 film “State of Play” looks great!
Deedee 😉
No US version of a British original. whether for TV or film, comes close to that original. FACT. At least this one won’t be an insult, but it’ll still be a Cliff’s Notes version for short attention span idiots with not the gumption to seek out the original beast. Even Soderbergh’s Traffic, solid though it is, isn’t remotely level with the 1989 Brit TV original.
Hi! Allan,
It seems that I have no other “choice,” but to seek this television program….
(I must admit that it is very difficult for me to sometimes use the word “television” due to the fact, that my television viewing is limited to basically (I)nternational news and occasionally 1 or 2 game shows.)
… and then I will be the “judge” of whether the 2009 film State of Play can hold a “candle” for lack of a better word…to the original “Brit”ish TV show. Uh! Oh!…now it comes down to the “Chicken vs. Egg”
quandary. 😕
Deedee 😉
I am in full agreement with Mr. Fish on this series. One of the greatest of all-time.
Uh! Oh!…now it comes down to the “Chicken vs. Egg” quandary.
Not because of which “State of Play” came “first, ” but which one to “watch” first?
hmm…I guess I will watch the 2009 movie first?!? ….hmm…No!…the 2003 series first…hmm..I guess 😕
Deedee 😉
hmmm….
“No US version of a British original. whether for TV or film, comes close to that original. FACT. ”
Would you not say that to every rule of thumb, there is an exception. I was thinking of the celebrated sitcom “All in the Family” being the US version of “Til Death Do Us Apart”.
Mind you, comparisons would be difficult as only, 2 or 3 episodes of the first two seasons of the British show exist.
It’s the only one that doesn’t insult the original, but most British commentators and TV experts still see the US version as sanitised compared to the original.
The mini-series is outstanding. Really, one of the best things I’ve seen on TV. It’s in the Jennybee Hall of Fame.
The movie looks so insipid in comparison. I don’t have a whole lot of hope for it.
The only thing that would have improved the miniseries? More McAvoy. God, he’s got screen presence.
Well, he was only 23 then, Jenny…but he was as welcome as ever. Next up Shameless, then movie stardom.
Allan, I saw this (again on BBC America when they were still airing shows of quality), and it was absolutely smashing. Nobody does the paranoia-political conspiracy thriller like British TV. You mention the fantastic “House of Cards.” I’ve always suspected it was the origin of this genre. You’re right, as always, about the cast. Just two or three of these would make the program memorable, but what a plethora of talent! A standout for me was the ever-reliable Bill Nighy, with his against-type Estuary accent and ruthless, uncompromising character. I’m unsure why you felt the ending to be a letdown, but I will say that it certainly surprised me by showing that even apparently good people have flaws they can’t accept.
I agree that there is no way a 2-hour long movie can match the plot twists and especially character development of a 6-hour long miniseries. I don’t believe it’s been done yet. Consider the American version of “Pennies from Heaven,” which doesn’t hold a candle to the original (despite Dennis Potter’s participation). And by all accounts, last year’s “Brideshead Revisited” was a pale imitation of the mini-series. (Wasn’t it about 10 or 12-hours long?) Oh, and I didn’t even bother with that American movie version of “The Singing Detective,” which was by all accounts a complete disaster. (I mean, Mel Gibson as the psychiatrist? And substituting pop pap from the 50’s for the original music? What were they thinking?)
A year or so after showing this, BBC America also aired a mini-series called “The State Within.” While not quite as good as “State of Play” (I’d bet the similarity of the titles was intentional), it was still a very good example of the genre and far better than almost any American TV show. Bravo to the Brits!
Hi, Allan Fish.
I wanted to play too! To round out your British drama repertoire, I would like to submit the following. In 2002, actress Jodhi May directed a short, Spyhole, in which David Morrissey performs. 🙂
R.D., ‘House of Cards’ is excellent, though the follow-ups sequels lost the edge progressively. The real grand-daddy of all political thrillers, I would say – though I could be wrong is 1985’s magnificent BBC version of ‘Edge of Darkness’ (which is yet another one being remade in the US to be released this year.) It’s the one against which all others should be measured. Rent it if you can. It’s one of the 10 best 1980s tv shows.
bobby, after checking “Edge of Darkness” on IMDb, I realized that I have indeed seen it (but had forgotten what the title of the show was) and found it compelling with a really tense build-up to the conclusion. Believe it or not, BBC America showed it in the late 90’s, when the show was nearly 15 years old. It didn’t really seem dated; only the youth of Joanne Whalley as the teenaged daughter gave away the show’s age. I noticed it sure cleaned up at the BAFTAs that year, deservedly so.
She did indeed, Mercury, I’m still waiting for her to appear on Doctor Who, as Parish, Morrissey and numerous others have already guested.
Edge of Darkness was very good, Finchy/bobby, but I never rated it quite as high as many did, very good, not quite great. House of Cards was great for Richardson’s performance as Francis Urquhart, a sort of Richard III for modern times, but it was rather static in its presentation, and its impact lessened by two inferior, if stillw well acted, sequels.
The ’80s was really the end of a Golden Age for British tv, with ‘Brideshead Revisted’, ‘The Jewel in the Crown’ on Independent Channels and ‘The Boys from the Blackstuff’, ‘Edge of Darkness’ and ‘The Singing Detective’ on the Beeb to mention only a few. The advent of Satellite tv and the death of the noble single play, alas killed risk taking and a whole spectrum of creativity. Alas. All we get off the commercial channels for drama is soaps and crime fiction.
True, Bobby, that the great single plays are a thing of the past, if they’re not good enough for cinemas, TV bosses aren’t interested.
Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did?