The Ides of March

            “The Ides of March,” portrays a dramatic view of politics from the inside. Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is a hard-working campaign manager for Mike Morris (George Clooney), a Pennsylvania governor running for the democratic party of the presidential election.

            Directed by George Clooney, the movie stars George Clooney himself, Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and Evan Rachel Wood.

            This movie is based off of the 2008 play “Farragut North,” by Beau Willimon.

             Meyers is working under only one man, Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) to ensure democratic candidate Morris defeats Arkansas senator Ted Pullman (Michael Mantell), by winning over Ohio.

            Meyers, a young rising star of politics has the ability to charm the public, persuade their beliefs, and always come out on top. This results in Meyers receiving a conflicting offer from Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), Ted Pullman’s advisor.  The offer goes against Zara, Meyers’ boss, and places Meyers in a difficult situation. 

This all becomes much more complicated when the information is leaked to Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei), a reporter who threatens to release this unless given the inside scoop on another politician.

            Many twists are added into the plot when Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), a young intern, and the daughter of Jack Stearns (Gregory Itzin), the head chairman of the Democratic National Committee, joins the staff for Morris’ campaign.

            With the 2012 presidential election coming up, this movie captures viewers to give them an insightful view of the dirty world of politics. “The Ides of March” shows the not only the betrayal, but also the loyalty of politicians, and just how far they are willing to go to ensure victory.

             Clooney displays a realistic view of the Democratic Party, marking no man as innocent in politics, but revealing no man as guilty. 

            At the very beginning of the movie, there seemed to be a lull in the plot, having only one storyline.  This quickly turned around after the call from Duffy, the introduction of Stearns, and some revealing secrets within Meyers’ own campaign staff. This movie has not only one, but many plot twists, captivating viewers and shocking them along the way.

            This movie ended in an unpredicted nature, making some viewers feel upset or angry, while others felt satisfied and surprised.  The main point of the movie’s ending was to inspire an emotion in viewers, which it successfully did in almost every person who watched it.

            Everything about this movie, including the sets, the music, the lighting and camera, and the costumes, made it seem so realistic, making the viewer feel as if they were there.

            Receiving almost all positive reviews, “The Ides of March” would satisfy any movie viewer who appreciates realistic, though-provoking portrayals of the inside of politics.