Thanks to Aaron Sorkin's suburb work on TV's The West Wing, I'm now entranced by American Politics. Compared with British politics, it's more extreme, more polarised, more brutal and far more stupid. Which leads me to George Clooney's third directing effort The Ides Of March, which of course gets its title from the politicking of William Shakespeare's infamous play Julius Caesar.
It stars rising star Ryan Gosling as a lead campaigner for George Clooney's Presidential candidate in the Democratic primary elections. An intelligent man, he's never the less unprepared for the dirty techniques his rival campaigner Paul Giamatti, boss Philip Seymour Hoffman, ambitious Senator Jeffery Wright and ruthless journalist Marisa Tomei will employ in order to get their way. However, Mr Gosling learns fast.
It's an absorbing look into the machinations of a Presidential campaign, from how the decisions of a select few can swing the outcome of a major election, to a character study of what's needed to live, thrive and survive in such a cutthroat world. Classily directed by Mr Clooney and wonderfully performed by all concerned, this is a film I'd like to see on the awards shortlists come the new year.
No comments:
Post a Comment