The Ides Of March

George Clooney has long been interested in politics. Many think that he would run for President. This film shows us what that might be like.

One of my favourite types of films are those that involve politics. I'm not sure what it is but they always seem to involve a lot of deal making and can be quite thrilling. That's certainly the case here. It is a fairly simple story but is told in a really entertaining way. There are lots of nice twists and turns to keep you interested. It also makes you wonder how little the general public are involved in the process. The process is quite cut throat too with the people involved willing to do anything to get ahead. Things that many of us would not agree with. It does not do any favours for people who work in politics. For a film that is based on a play there is a hint of its origins but still George has managed to open it up nicely to make it very cinematic.

George Clooney certainly has a very Presidential presence. I could easily imagine him taking on the top office one day. His role in minor here but being the centre of attention he still carries a great deal of weight. It helps when he is backed up by an excellent cast. Ryan Gosling once again does his usual brilliant job. His character goes through many emotional phases and Ryan handles them all so well. Philip Seymour Hoffman gives another blustery performance. His dialogue is mostly cliches but he's still excellent. Paul Giamatti as his opposite number is equally good. Nicely shifty. Rachel Evan Wood is wonderful as the only really 'nice' person in the film. Marisa Tomei has a great small role too.

Good political thrillers sadly do not come along very often so we need to take advantage of them while we can.