George Clooney would make the perfect politician, even getting Republican votes, with his suave looks, relaxed
manner, gift of gab and wink in his eye. In "The Ides Of March" he is
Governor Morris who is running for President and is in Ohio seeking his
party's nomination. Though in any film he is in he takes front and
center just due to his charisma this movie isn't about George Clooney but the people behind the scene.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is the Governor's main man running the campaign with Ryan Gogling his second in command. Paul Giamatti is
Hoffman's counterpoint with the opposing candidate while Jeffery Wright
is a Senator who can swing the vote to either man depending upon what
they are willing to offer him.

The film is more concerned with all the wheeling, dealing, compromising and lost ideals that
go on behind the scenes of politics that ring true and, in all
probability, will not come as a surprise to anyone viewing the movie.

Marisa Tomei is a New York Times reporter who is your friend as long as you have a
story for her and Evan Rachel Wood is an intern working in the election
headquarters and should, once and for all, teach anyone in politics to
stay away from interns.

Clooney as director lets his actors shine but when he is on camera their light
dims a little. Hoffman holds his own in the acting department and i
thought he was much better in this than in "Moneyball". I am not a fan of Giamatti but he is effective in his role. Tomei handles her reporter banter with ease and Wood plays her role both
naively and world wise at the same time as the part requires.

The
only actor I had a problem with is Ryan Gosling who is on the screen
constantly and doesn't have the 'star' power the part needed. He comes
across in the intellectually required scenes but he is too bland in the scenes that call for passion. He needs to take a few more lessons from Clooney on screen charisma.

"The Ides of March" is one of
the better movies I have seen in awhile with the director, Clooney,
keeping the film moving at a brisk pace only misstepping near the end by
going on about 10 minutes too long. He should have ended it in the
scene with Hoffman coming out of the car as his audience is smart enough
to know what follows without having to be shown.

This is a film about politics but isn't a political film though you can see it as that but to me it was more of an adventurous mystery without being hectic and what loyalty and honesty mean.