Sunday, July 07, 2013

Ides of March



Rating : 8/10
Release Date : October, 2011
Time : 101 minutes
Director, Writer : George Clooney; Co-writers : Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon based on the latter’s play ‘Farragut North’; Music : Andre Desplat
Starring : Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Max Minghella



This is as much about the murkiness of American politics, as a sitting Governor (Clooney) fights for the Democrat nomination for the Presidential race, but also about human relationships, fallibility and, to use a line from the movie, the ever shifting ‘line in the sand’.




Clooney and his team, with Hoffman as the veteran senior campaign manager and Gosling as his go to man, are fighting a close campaign against their rival, who’s campaign is managed by Paul Giamatti. One of the senators, Jeffrey Wright, who’s pulled out of the race, may hold the key if he endorses either. But Ryan’s quiet night out with an attractive intern, Evan Rachel wood, who’s also working on the campaign, sets in motion a chain of events, that tests the character and integrity of everyone involved.



It’s a fascinating character study, rich in political and human insight. The relationship between Ryan and Marisa, a reporter. Or Paul’s dirty tricks. Or Jeffrey’s demands. The ease with which principles are abandoned. The quest for power. The fallibility of the famous. This is a compelling drama, enhanced brilliantly by the background score. Not to be missed.

PS : Watch out for the references to the play on which the movie is based

1 comment:

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