The Ides of March (Film Review)

Watching the political drama, The Ides of March, one thing continued to strike me.

George Clooney should probably be President.

The film about a young, determined, and excellent campaign manager, played by Ryan Gosling, takes us into the back rooms of the Ohio democratic primary, as the character played by Clooney makes his charge towards the Presidency.

As with most political dramas, we are provided with some insight into the backroom dealings that gets somebody their name on the ticket to become the leader of the free world. This film is very well written, tremendously acted, and has enough intrigue to make it a very enjoyable and exciting view.

A strong cast is led by Gosling, who absolutely nails his role as the true political up-and-comer. Someone who is very good at their jobs, but still has the innocence and beliefs that things can be changed for the better. He plays this perfectly. He is calm and suave, yet can still step his way through the constant political minefields that arise on the trail of the campaign. As the story progresses, he come to a choice, where he must either step up to be brutal, or continue on his more righteous path towards the improvement of America. This may be his best acting performance yet, and he really sells his character as someone good, and someone that we, as the audience, should root for, in the dirty world of American politics.

There are other very strong characters with smaller roles, as well. Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti…they are all very good, and very believable with the smaller roles they are provided with. This realism provides us with a better view into the politics, and they sell the story that Clooney (who is also the director) places for us. His commentary is clear because he has such strong people laying down his ideas.

As for Clooney himself, he has been an outspoken actor in real life, with strong political views. It was perhaps inevitable that he made a film focusing on the state of US politics, and he does a fantastic job. As for directing himself as an actor, he also does a great job. We see him as the perfect Presidential candidate, able to be intelligent, give empowering and charismatic speeches, and engaging in strong debates with the regular folks of the country. It makes us wonder…wouldn’t he actually be a very strong politician in the real world?

Seriously, wouldn’t he be an awesome President?

The Ides of March is a very strong movie. Buoyed by the acting, it provides us with a great story, one of hope and values, before turning ugly. It is fun to watch throughout, and although it is not terribly different from other political films (especially ones that focus on the campaign part of an election…several parts of the film reminded me of The Killing, and the race for mayor in the first season), it does a good job of showing the seedy underbelly of something that can look so squeaky clean and good.

Well worth a watch.

House of Cards Season 2

Note: Since I first posted this, I have finished the season. I have added my comments about the season as a whole at the bottom of the post.

Released for one day. 7 hours later, I have cruised through the first half of the newest season of the Netflix original series, House of Cards.

And it has not disappointed thus far. At all.

There is so much to like about this show, but really, it is Kevin Spacey being so deliciously evil that you can’t help but cheer for him, that really makes it all so great. He is absolutely ruthless, and his journey begins just where the first season left off. We have to wonder where he will stop, or where all the deals and promises he makes will have to end. They have to end at some point, don’t they?

There are some big moves in the opening couple of episodes of Season 2, but I won’t spoil them, since this is a show that is worth watching on your own. But there are some good storylines that have come out, and a couple of the smaller characters from Season 1 are getting their own plots now, to the benefit of the show. Of course, there is still plenty of backdoor dealings to keep the more casual fan interested.

I’m sure I will write another post about this series once I have completed the season (which, at this rate, could be later today). Truly addictive television, House of Cards is the best of the Netflix originals, and easily worth the subscription on its own.

After finishing Season 2, I will add a couple of thoughts, without revealing any spoilers.

The best thing about Netflix releasing their entire series’ at once is you can absolutely devour them in a short timeframe. The sad part is that once it is done, it is a really long wait until the next year comes out. I will instantly feel this way about House of Cards. After thrashing through the entire year in less than 24 hours, I will now be forced to wait, like the rest of us, until Season 3 is released, presumably next year sometime. At least, I am assuming they will have a third installment. It is definitely successful enough, and it is more than definitely good enough.

This was captivating political television. There were really good twists and turns throughout, and some maneuvers that one would truly not imagine seeing. As I had noted above, I really liked the new stories with the minor characters. They stay throughout the year, and they are developed well, to the point where you don’t mind watching their segments, and are not just craving to get back to the story of Frank Underwood and his devious schemes.

As for an overview of the entire season, it is great, better than I would have expected. Too many shows promise such great things with the first year, only to disappoint going forward. I wrote about this in my review of the second season of Homeland. But they didn’t mess with this one. There was still work for Underwood to do at the end of the shows first run, and he gets back to business in the second go at it. The schemes, ploys, backstabbing, and back room politics are all still there. And it is absolutely engrossing.

I recommend the newest season of this show with the highest regard. It is truly excellent.