ides of march

i'm a sucker for all things relevant.

connections, missed connections, coincidences, shared experiences

heck yes, count me in, i'm interested in that!

so when all the hubbub was happening in cincinnati because george clooney was shooting his latest flick here, in an environment i live and work in, i was totally all over that.

and then, when it came out in theatres, i was also, totally, all over that. cincinnati looks GREAT on high-budget film!

seriously, though, "ides of march" was GREAT.

i saw it on a tuesday evening, thinking, "uggghhh, tuesday....i'm not up for a gigantic, thick, heavy, political film." and it started out that way. kind of dreary, exposition-y, laying out the world and the facts.

and then, and i don't know if this is because i'm finally old enough to get into political films or if it's because the movie just so darn compelling, BAM, the film takes off at breakneck speed.

events unfurl. lines get crossed. seemingly small choices become very big and very huge consequences. a young girl gets pregnant, and a political party gets entirely re-organized.

george clooney is impressive, consistent, and cohesive.

ryan gosling is effervescent, likable, witty, and very appropriate for his role.

phillip seymour hoffman is quiet and patient, aged, and perfect.

and paul giamatti is cutting-edge, abrasive AND slick, taut, and busy.

all in all, the movie is purely logistical, practical, chess-like.

which, of course, makes the eventual heartbreaks and betrayals all the more poignant. 

oh my god, blogoworld, i was practically screaming and heaving in my seat.

so tense.

so suspenseful.

sooooo so good.

and so very relevant. look at those george clooney "believe" political campaign posters created for the film.

they look AMAZINGLY FAMILIAR, don't they?

this film is a compact, well-implemented parallel of some producer's ideas about the 2008 obama campaign.

and it's great.

recommendation? absolutely.

go check it out!