The Ides of March (2011)

I am a harsh skeptic when it comes to political thrillers, it is far too easy for dramatic stories about the corrupted nature of today's politics to be made, yet we rarely get one that feels honest (how ironic). But this film is different, it digs deep into the corrupted nature of politicians and the unfortunate people who get hurt when "the shit hits the fan." George Clooney directs this tense, chilling portrayal of modern day American politics.

Ryan Gosling plays Stephen Meyers, a young, optimistic campaign manager who has naive hope and confidence in his candidate, Mike Morris, and of politics in general. Gosling delivers his second great performance of the year, he plays his role with a chilling calmness as his character's moral values are challenged and twisted. This performance is equal, perhaps even better, than his other great performance in the film noirish thriller, Drive. George Clooney plays Mike Morris, a likable candidate who at face-value seems to be the perfect person to become to support and become next president, but as the story unravels we get a hash lesson of why nobody is ever what they seem. A wonderful supply of strong supporting performances featuring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. George Clooney deserves his award season nominations for his direction, this film is meticulously plotted and the brutally honest portrayal of today's politics that we need, but only get once or twice a year.