Movie Review; Ides Of March

As usual I am late to the point on something major in the political, arts, technological or entertainment world, but when I am I try to weight in with something unique to say.

My fiance and I finally made it to see Ides of March this weekend, but this was well worth the wait.  Very few movies can that be said. There was not a bad roles played in the entire movie, but the movie itself lent to good roles being played.  With character actor heavy weights like Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, you almost lay bets on who will play their understanded characters to the fullest.  Both play frumpy campaign managers who have obviously been around the block.  Hoffman gets more screen time as the chain smoking, loyalty driven manager of Clooney's campaign, and ultimate scapegoat when the plot thickens to collapse. Given Hoffman's experiences with campaigning, he was a well placed addition to the cast. Giamatti's time on screen lags, but when on he explodes. Delivering one liners that make the whole philosophical, and moral tone for the movie, Giamatti shows the viewers the games played behind closed doors during a campaign. Ryan Gosslyn (I have no problem misspelling his name) does well too, though he is plagued by what can be politely said as too many close-ups.  One viewer, of the Ryan Gosslyn fan base, was over heard to have said "He has a weird shaped head, and they kept zooming in on it."
George Clooney was best served as the head writer for the movie though his character was surprising in the end.  If you come to Ides of March looking for fast moving, twists and turns, you will be disappointed.  The plot of this movie was layered with scenes where the actors trade dialog, the close comparison to verbal shotgun blasts, over philosophical or moral points. Just when you think you have it all figured out, up comes a three minute scene that drops you off a cliff, and runs you over with a Mac truck. Clooney writes the screenplay so well that you leave the theatre wondering who really wins? My guess is Clooney had a good foundation from "Farragut North" written in 2008.
Ides of March, thanks to a well written screenplay and subtle geniuses of Hoffman and Giamatti get past the good looking heartthrob that is Ryan Gosslyn and transforms in to tank of a film that is not just another campaign movie or political thriller.