Ides of March
Director: George Clooney
Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood
Rated: R
Running time: 98 minutes
So let's assume for the moment you are not completely overrun with election stuff. You have managed to ignore all the signs, the online activity, local papers, radio and TV all bombarding you with municipal election information. Well, you will no doubt come to a point soon where it will be overwhelming and you'll just want to run to the theatre and escape it all. If this is the case, I'm not sure I would recommend Ides of March, a political drama that puts you squarely in backroom of American presidential politics.
Based on the play by Beau Willimon, Ides of March is the story of a young idealistic campaign consultant who gets thrown into a nasty political spiral. Ryan Gosling is the optimistic dream helper who truly feels he is supporting the candidate who will finally talk some sense into America. All they need to do is win the Ohio primary. But to do that sacrifices have to be made, and backs need to be stabbed. Of course, they don't really have to be, but what would a political drama be without a few stabbed backs? At its core, this is another film showcasing the belief that political ideals are not what wins elections in the big leagues. What wins elections is caving to the right people and playing the dirty game that has gone on for so very long. So while it's not a new story by any stretch, it is very well cast, with the always delightful Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti playing old hands at the game.
In the end, this is another "there are no friends in politics" film that hits most of the right points.
