by Janet Sandford

Created on: May 17, 2009

A destitute man dies in a dark, secluded alleyway in the north western area of Washigton DC. Many miles away, a gorgeous young woman is killed beneath the wheels of a fast moving train. Are these two tragedies unrelated or are they fragments of a huge conspiracy involving the highest ranking government officials?

Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is an astute Congressman. He is good looking, charismatic and the star of his party. They see him as the unchallenged future of the party. But when he confesses to having an affair with his research assistant who has died under problematic circumstances his political destiny is questioned.

Cal MacAffrey (Russell Crowe), a veteran reporter for the Washington Globe, known for his down to earth and practical reporting style, begins to look into the shooting of a homeless bag snatcher and realises that there is more to his death than meets the eye. When the man's death becomes finally linked to the Congressman's mistress, Cal concludes that there is a lot more going on than he initially thought.

Cal and Congressman Collins go back a long way. They were best friends at college and shared a room together. Cal tries very hard to be his friend but doesn't always succeed. He pays no attention to the clear conflict of interest and recruits a novice to assist him; a keen blogger called Della Frye (Rachel McAdams). Together, with their belligerent editor ( Helen Mirren) watching fearlessly over them, the two bold reporters begin investigating the story, often putting their own lives in danger in the process. As they dig down deep they uncover some pretty dirty things that they were never meant to see.

Without understanding the consequences of their actions, Cal and Della come across a gigantic concealment connecting a defence sub-division agreement worth a fortune - billions of dollars, in fact. And when such a fortune is at stake, there isn't anything some folks won't do to keep it safe.

Kevin McDonald (director of Last King of Scotland) has manufactured a tense, complicated, heart-beating political thriller. In lots of ways it reminds me of the classic films like Pakula's, All the Presidents Men, which is surprising as the film is a shortened version of the British mini series which deals with English Parliament and the legendary Fleet Street.

Screenwriters, Matthew Michael Carnaham (Lion for the Lambs) and Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Trilogy, Michael Clayton) have done an excellent job on condensing the adaptation and making it plausible.

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