October 7, 2011

The Ides of March - 2011

Director: George Clooney
Writers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, & Beau Willimon
Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Max Minghella, Jeffrey Wright


Stephen Meyers (Gosling) is the much-beloved junior campaign manager for Governor Mike Morris (Clooney). However, when the campaign manager (Giamatti) from the other Democratic candidate sends a job offer his way, his formerly unwavering loyalty is tested, especially when he discovers a bombshell that could bring down Morris's campaign completely.


Ides proves the political drama is far from dead. The source material (a play inspired by the 2004 presidential run of Howard Dean) is strong, especially in the hands of George Clooney. The casting choices are nothing short of superb, either: Ryan "2011 is my year" Gosling, Philip Seymour "I never fail you" Hoffman, Paul "bearded is beautiful" Giamatti, and so many more. It's just one great thing after another, and it all fits together like cogs in a finely-tuned machine. PSH in particular gives a tremendous monologue a little past the one hour mark. Clooney remains a triple threat with this film, which is sure to stand the test of time (despite the set design having a distinct Obama influence). A-