“State of Play,” starring Russell Crowe as Cal McAffrey, a determined journalist for a Washington paper hard-pressed to pump up profits, involves a tale of corruption and evil deeds connected to lucrative contracts, investigations and hanky panky potentially involving Washington lawmakers. Rachel McAdams is charming as Della Frye, whose beat is gossip on the paper’s internet site. An unlikely combo, she and McAffrey team up on getting the big story with some infighting as to who’s in charge and who gets the credit. So far so good.

Helen Mirren is the tough editor pressing hard for a scoop to emerge while uncovering it is a major challenge defying deadlines. (The film is based on a British television mini-series.) The Washington newsroom atmosphere created seems forced—is it really like that?

The plot complications involve a long-time friendship between McAffrey and U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins, played by Ben Affleck. Is it necessary for the plot to have McAffrey previously involved with the woman who became the Congressman’s wife? That’s the sort of personal stuff that sinks a film needing to adhere to the basic story at hand, a yarn that already involves a suspicious death of the Congressman’s assistant. We also learn personal things about her that add further to the throw-in-the-kitchen sink plotting.