Quick Film Review: Ides of March

Movies about politics nowadays always paint it as this low-down, back-stabbing, cut-throat game, which, it probably is. I say "probably," because I'm not privy to real underbelly of this game. I made some calls & knocked on some doors for the Obama campaign back in 2008 but that was like kindergarten compared to the serious, heavy game of professional politics. Having gotten a small taste of it though, I love to see a good political thriller like this one.

And it definitely is a thriller. The tension heats up from the very beginning as Ryan Gosling's character, a campaign manager for a "Governor Morris" (Clooney) gets involved in some double-dealing with the opposing campaign and finds himself in the middle of a very uncomfortable situation between a female intern and his candidate.

Long story short, Gosling learns a difficult and fast lesson in this film, which ends up being both a twist-laden drama and a frank but sad commentary on the American political system. Though I'd actually say erred more on the Hollywood thriller element. But hey, they have to get asses into seats, don't they?

This film makes me long for the fast-paced days of being involved in a campaign: following the news every minute of every day, parsing and dissecting the minutiae of every candidates' speeches, big and small, down to the Youtube video of him speaking to all three members of the Buggy Whip Makers Union Local meeting in Shoe Leather, Idaho. Ah, the churning, grimy, ugly, meat-grinder that is politics....

Watch this movie. It's good.

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