The Ides of March

Everything that you’re presented by mainstream media which is controlled by the establishment and calculated to make you think and believe what will serve them and not us is misleading/dishonest. They present the truth to us in movies so we’ll think of it as fantasy, then they lie to us in news broadcasts so we’ll think that is the truth. The genius of it should be obvious; when someone tells you the truth, you’ll tell them they’ve been watching too many movies, while in the meantime, you’re believing all the lies you see in the news. You could research things online, using multiple independent sources to find out what’s really happening, but they know that 99% of you are too lazy, complacent, and afraid of what you’ll find out to do that.All politicians make campaign promises that they never keep, and every voting cycle we fight with each other over which liar we’re going to vote for; we’re too stupid to ever learn, and yet arrogant enough to think we’re qualified to participate in running a democracy. Lucky for us that the entire process is a farce, and the facade they maintain that creates the illusion that we have anything to say about what happens is a lie.The richest families in the world are united and run everything using debt and credit as their tools. People who are too high profile and influential that stand or speak against them, they kill: the Kennedy’s, Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, Malcolm X, John Lennon, Lincoln, Michael Jackson, etc, etc.Keep that in mind while watching this movie, because no matter what a politician or world leader promises to deliver, he or she’s just their puppet, will take their pay-off, and do whatever he or she’s told once in office, or else.

I basically detest George Clooney but I was hungry to watch a political thriller and I couldn’t find anything I hadn’t already seen — in some cases, more than once. I have no particular feeling about Ryan Gosling as an actor or a person and, after this movie, I find I still don’t. He did a very workmanlike job here and that’s about it. But, when I saw Paul Giamatti was in the cast, that’s when I was sold. I’ve never seen a performance of his I didn’t like. And, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman was perfectly cast as a rumpled political hand who’s seen too many wars.I’m glad I did watch this, despite Clooney. It’s a great film and very well told. While I’m glad it’s free to me on Prime, I wouldn’t have felt bad about shelling out the money to rent it.I also feel, as a woman and a feminist, compelled to rebut the statements of “Amazon Customer” who said he couldn’t take Evan Rachel Wood seriously when she plays yet another “sex kitten” role while, in real life, she calls out every man in the film business for being sexually inappropriate towards her.Here’s the thing: she’s an actress. She’s being paid to play a part. That’s her job. The roles she plays don’t necessarily have anything to do with who she is, as a person, and it certainly doesn’t entitle anyone to behave in an improper and unprofessional manner just because of what she portrays on screen. That’s like saying that I should be able to toss Henry Cavill off a building and expect him to suffer no injuries because he plays Superman and Superman can fly. One has nothing to do with the other and it’s the same thing with Woods. She shouldn’t be conflated with the characters she plays. I haven’t followed her allegations in the press, but I don’t need to. In all circumstances, she should be treated with professional respect and that’s all there is to it.

It’s kind of hard to take Evan Rachel Wood seriously in yet another movie where she plays an amoral, opportunistic sex kitten who throws herself at higher ups for the thrill and power, when in real life she is in the media every other week “metoo’ing” yet another writer, producer, actor, or director who supposedly made a pass at her.That being said, the story could have easily been called, “The Clinton Campaign”. The only difference is they didn’t show Governor Morris getting on a jet with Jeffrey Eipstein to go to his sex island. Ryan Gosling walked away with this movie, even in the face of heavyweights like Clooney, Giamatti, and Hoffman. It’s a good watch, especially if you like political thrillers.

The Ides Of March makes politics look like an intense game a chess. Democrats vs Republicans. Honestly surprised we don't have more films about political debates! The reason why I compared this to chess was due to the intelligent methodology that these campaigns used against each other. A glimpse into the inner workings of a political campaign and how simply one mistake could cost a senator the presidential seat. Acknowledging every move your opponent makes and having to predict what they will do. Most importantly though, this is a film about loyalty and how it is the most important trait to acquire in the world of politics. Believing in an idealism even if the man representing that ideology is not entirely innocent or perfect. This is George Clooney's baby; he directed, wrote, produced and starred in the film...I was mightily impressed. The political sub-genre is a guilty pleasure of mine and really showcases some excellent concise screenplays. It's no different here, I was captivated from start to end. A talented and likeable cast certainly helped, particularly Ryan Gosling who just keeps on excelling in every role he gets. Hoffman, Clooney, Giamatti, Tomei...the list goes on and every one of them gives a cold stern performance. Politics is harsh and the screenplay really hones in on campaigns doing anything they can to win. Corruption, persuasion, blackmailing...the brutal reality of politics have negative effects on campaigners, so much so that their lives could potentially be destroyed. Absolutely fascinating, although slightly hyperbolic. I did find the ending slightly underwhelming and frustrating, probably because it's the ending I didn't want. However, this is utterly enthralling with a tight script and excellent cast. I would like to live in a world where George Clooney runs for president. Make it happen.

I enjoyed this but I am also currently watching House of Cards and can't help but compare. If House of Cards (either old or new versions) had never existed, this would be great and I would have given it 4 stars.This is a story of a man (Ryan Gosling) working on a campaign for a governor (Clooney) to run on the Democratic nomination for the Whitehouse. It's about losing idealism, watching your idols fall and being ruthlessly ambitious. For me, not enough happened to really attract my interest and the characters weren't enough of anything to like or hate.It occurred to me later that it's rare to see a film about part of a process, especially a minor part. It felt like a trailer for a TV show, albeit a promising one which is probably what got me thinking about House of Cards which is again what disappointed me. It needed more twists and turns, it needed a bigger stage, it needed MORE!Ok but I wouldn't bother buying, wait till it's on TV.

I watched this for the second time today, and this movie - which did not impress me much at all first time around - I enjoyed a lot. Considering the cast contains Ryan Gosling, George Clooney (who also directs), Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffery Wright and the criminally underrated Paul Giamatti, plus Evan Rachel Wood as sweet eye candy, you would expect to enjoy it.Set amongst the US political campaigning environment, it gives you largely what you'd expect. People that work with one another but can use and abuse each other without a second thought, appearances and impressions are more important and essential than moral fibre or integrity. I often wonder if any form of integrity exists in the corridors of power in any country any more.Good performances, not the cleverest of screenplays but an enjoyable, even though not memorable, movie.

A very good film that is maybe the more mature directed by Clooney. After Confessions and Good Night, he now prefer not to show he's got style behind the camera, but that he's got balance and do not feel ashamed to make a balanced film, where there are not outstanding scenes or any stylish exhibition. He became more classic and yet sharper and more effective. His portray of American Politics is not average or easily antipolitics, but a cold, firm and clever narration of an entire system of values that is based on hypocrisy and either kill or integrate who live and works within it. So Clooney and Gosling are two sides of the same coin. Clooney is so good at describing the dynamics and the everchanging balance inside this system, where you never can trust anyone and the only way to make it is doing what it takes to overcome and prevail onto others.Some did not like it because they think it was weak, while I call it balanced and classic. Qualities that make you look deeper and not talk loud or show off to tell people what you saw.

This was an interesting film. I will admit i bought it soley because of the 2 main actors.This essentially tells the story of a Governor who is up for re-election and he has aspirations to go all the way to the white house. Ryan plays his campaign advisor/press secretary. It touches on the seedy underbelly of politics and corruption.I enjoyed it and would probably watch it again.