Ides of March

The Ides of March  is a wonderful political movie. I am not a political layman, only a layman aware of the web politico that is spun intricately over our lives. A web that intersperses myriad political decisions with hydro generation, taxes to be levied,  transit rides and ETR's, jobs to be created, marriages  registered or annulled. This movie makes you realise that even though politics is such a dirty game, in eventuality it leaves us the normal layman either better or worse off. We may shout and scream, watch in quiet acceptance, live and die, or blame family, religion, schooling. society, education, marriage and even death. The truth is in some way or form it sands us down coarse and blatant rather than subtle, policies and decisions affect us poorly or richly.

All these scrapbook aspects of life are afflicted by distinct political manoeuvres for lobbies, for votes, for presidency even.

Ides of March. I looked this up on Wikipedia 'is the name of the 15th of March in the Roman Calendar, probably referring to the day of the full moon. The word Ides comes from the Latin word "Idus" and means "half division" especially in relation to a month.

In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. The group included 60 other co-conspirators according to Plutarch.'

The Movie an ointment of talent, lists all my favourites as vital ingredients George Clooney, Ryan Gosling. Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei.

George Clooney plays Mike Morris an idealistic candidate vying for the Democratic primary in a presidential election. This tidbit is based only on my poor dewdrop thin knowledge of politics. It is inversely proportionate to how I interpret the varied political terms that are  knitted together in the movie. Mike Morris is backed by two campaign advisers Ryan Gosling plays Stephen Myers the newer kid on the block with the brains in place to define a campaign path and a subtle moral boost for the Governor. He is an aid to the Senior Adviser Paul Zara played brilliantly by the ever so versatile Philip Seymour Hoffman. The movie locks and unlocks many cupboards, the proverbial skeletons keep tumbling out revealing only stab wounds deep within bent back-bones. The sleazy side of party politics is displayed in a very much behind the scenes, fencing between Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Tom Duffy the opposing side's campaign manager (played by another favorite Paul Giamatti). George Clooney plays the candidate, who backs an ethically and morally strong campaign leadership, fighting for what he believes in but with secrets that could unravel, and upchuck his leadership. Stephen has already made a political boo-boo, he has me with Tom Duffy. This leads to a lot of internal and external political cat and mouse encounters.We do not come to realise who the cat is, or who the mouse, till the end game and we wonder if the mouse hole will only get bigger. A big black hole that will swallow constituencies whole. We watch as human delusions of ethics and morality are de-based in the sleazy world of party politics. We watch as a house of cards keeps getting knocked down and built, on a brand new set of moral codes re-defined for that particular  moment of political one man-ship.

We watch Stephen's character morph into a political butterfly or me thinks a moth drawn toward a bleak politically lit career. We watch as he flutters at a light constantly, poises in the moment that captures him brilliantly, yet shadows all those who flutter around his phoenix flight. We are left to impress whether everything is real or an illusion of the self.

George Clooney directed, co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay (the movie is based off the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon) and this being his fourth directorial attempt (after Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night, and Good Luck and Leatherheads). This reminds me of the brilliant movie so amazing in it's subtlety and the rich definition of it characters which was Good Night, and Good Luck.

This is my synopsis, draw a conclusion on your own, but it is definitely a movie worth the time, if only for the glorious casting and the marvellous direction.