The Ides of March
George Clooney, 2011 (8.4*)
This is an intelligent political thriller with a few
unpredictable twists. One would say the acclaim is due George Clooney, since he
co-wrote the screenplay, directed the film with himself in a lead role.
His character is a new presidential candidate, whose
idealistic follower Steven Myers, brilliantly underplayed by Ryan Gosling, is
second-in-command of the campaign, which is headed by veteran campaigner Paul Giamatti. None of
these men are saints, and over the course of the story we get to see each
character in a more revealing light.
It’s hard to describe the film without giving away some
important plot turns, but place this film on a short list of intelligent and
adult political films, each revealing something about the process of government:
Advise and Consent, All the President’s Men, The Queen, Executive Suite, Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington.
This is one of the better films of 2011, for me in that "second tier", with Rango, The Artist, and Take Shelter.
Read more...
