The Ides of March - My Review

The Ides of March  -  2011  -  Directed by George Clooney

George Clooneys 4th directorial endeavor is that type of movie that wants you to believe that it is smarter than it really is when in fact it is about as timely and original as a week old episode of Meet The Press.

Ryan Gosling stars as Stephen Meyers, a young, naive idealistic press secretary to Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) who is in a heated battle in Ohio for the presidential primary. When a secret threatens to derail the Governor's bid, Stephen begins to question the moral and ethical dilemmas facing him.

The cast, led by Clooney and Gosling, along with Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei are all excellent but the screenplay by Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon is chock full of cliches and and its cynical views of politicians is nothing new in this era of political cynicism.

One thing is certain though. Clooney knows how to direct. No further proof is needed than to watch his brilliant film Good Night and Good Luck. He just needs to pick his projects better.

Rating: 5 out of 10