Top Movies for Spring 2009 - State of Play, Obse
Popular Films Star Beyone Knowles, Russell Crowe
May 1, 2009
State of Play, directed by Kevin MacDonald and produced by Universal Pictures, is one of the top mystery movies showing at theatres around the world. The movie landed at the number one spot in the United Kingdom (UK) during its opening week. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is the fact that the acting is simply stellar. Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren and Michael Berresse are an all-star cast in this thriller. This movie is a winner whether one catches it at the theatre or gets it for months to come on DVD at a local video store.
Russell Crowe and State of Play
Russell Crowe plays seasoned journalist, Cal McAffrey, a man who is determined to uncover the truth around the murder of Congressman Stephen Collins’ assistant. The trouble is that the woman is also Stephen’s mistress. On top of that, Cal and Stephen have been friends since college.
While the subscription base for newspapers in the United States and abroad have declined, State of Play offers a refreshing change of pace to the print media. Viewers get to see how a newspaper is run up close as the mystery unfolds. The tension between Cal and his supervisor, Cameron Lynne, played by Helen Mirren, adds another element of intrigue to State of Play. Cameron heads up the Washington Globe, a newspaper that has recently been taken over by a new owner, people who are not as interested in the content of a story as much as they are interested in turning a profit.
State of Play as a United Kingdom Mystery Mini Series
The second reason that State of Play has earned the top spot in UK movie theatres is that the movie is based on a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) mini series. The show aired in the UK six years ago in 2003 and ran for six hours. The mini series was written by Paul Abbott. David Yates directed the mini series. From the start, the story was well received by the viewing public. Oscar Award winner, Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams and Michael Berresse do the story great justice as it transitions from television to the big screen.
Obsessed with Beyonce Knowles as a Movie Mystery
Another chart topper that was released during 2009 is Obsessed. The mystery movie stars Beyonce Knowles, Idris Elba and Ali Larter. The mystery deals with Derek, a businessman and the husband of Sharon, who is admired to the point of obsession by a woman named Lisa. Idris Elba plays Derek while Beyonce Knowles portrays Sharon. Ali Carter fleshes out the role of Lisa, Derek’s secretary.
The tension that develops between a business manager and his assistant is the focus of Obsessed. Almost at once, Beyonce’s character knows that something crucial is amiss with her husband’s new colleague. She tries to silence her intuition, but events begin to happen that demand her attention and seemingly leave her without a choice except to take action and confront Ali Larter’s character, Lisa.
Steve Shill directs the movie. Rainforest Films produced the movie. The thriller grossed over $28 million during its first week. It showed on 2,500 screens worldwide. Other movies produced by the production house include This Christmas, The Gospel, Stomp The Yard and Motives 2. Each of these movies has earned a fair measure of success, some through DVD sales more than at theatres.
Hit Thriller Movies at Theatres
Other fan favorites that raise viewer curiosity, include Star Trek and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The X-Men movie tells the story of Wolverine, one of the most liked X-Men characters. Star Trek needs no introduction. The movie is based on the movie classic that originally ran for three seasons on NBC. The millions of avid Star Trek fans will likely insure that this movie earns a profit.
Several summers have passed since more than one to two intriguing mysteries were distributed by major motion picture houses over the same three to four months. Not so for the summer of 2009. In fact, later in the season The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta and based on a hit novel by the same name, will be in theatres. The economic downturn might be deterring millions of people from buying automobiles and new houses, but it is not keeping viewers out of theatres.
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