State of Play Blu-ray

State of Play

 (2009)

Drama | Mystery | Thriller



Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party's contender for the upcoming presidential race. Until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out.

For more details about State of Play on Blu-ray, see the State of Play Blu-ray Review

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren
Director: Kevin Macdonald

State of Play Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Produced from high-quality digital intermediate files, State of Play's striking 1080p/VC-1 transfer is a technical beauty. Yes, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto's color palette is restrained and, yes, MacDonald's grim-grainy-n-sometimes-gritty vision of Washington isn't as easy on the eyes as other, shinier Hollywood productions, but the presentation itself captures everything Prieto and MacDonald intended their audience to see, from the tiny wrinkles on Congressman Collins' shirts to the grizzled stubble spilling down McAffrey's chin. Each and every frame is packed with detail -- the news room is brimming with paper clippings, print-outs, and legible on-screen text, Fergus' office is awash with natural edges and rich textures, and the bustling kitchen and crowded menu board of Ben's Chili Bowl diner (a must-visit D.C. locale that serves the best Chili Half-Smoke on the East Coast) represents the sort of reach-out-and-munch-it-all perfection I expect from every high definition presentation. Best of all, black levels are deep, delineation is relatively revealing, contrast is strong, and dimensionality is, dare I say, impeccable.

The technical transfer is proficient as well. Artifacting, banding, noise reduction, aliasing, and edge enhancement are MIA, and crush, while still a factor from time to time, doesn't undermine the integrity of the image. Softness affects a few shots, sure, but it all traces back to MacDonald's directorial decisions, not to Universal's admirable efforts. Simply put, State of Play looks fantastic. Fans, newcomers, and videophiles alike will be thoroughly pleased with the results.

State of Play Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


State of Play is a chatty, conversational film, and Universal's efficient DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track follows suit. Dialogue is clean and weighty, nesting nicely in the center channel and drifting around the immersive soundfield when necessary. Voices are warm, crisp, and perfectly prioritized, even when joined by the chattering denizens of a local diner, a noisy news room, or a heated congressional hearing. Interior acoustics are incredibly effective -- apartments, meeting halls, and conference rooms have distinct personalities -- and ambience, while subdued on occasion, is persistent and commendable. LFE output isn't going to wake the neighbors, but still makes several notable appearances (even though the majority of them involve the film's lumbering musical score). Likewise, the track's directional effects aren't aggressive enough to trick listeners into glancing over their shoulders, but channel pans and spatial accuracy are impressive (particularly for a flick populated with so many hushed exchanges). All things considered, State of Play's DTS-HD MA mix neatly and easily fields everything MacDonald tosses its way.

State of Play Blu-ray, News and Updates

• State of Play Announced for BD - June 11, 2009

State of Play Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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