Does it get any better than pitting two of our
current generations best actors against each other?
On
one side, the modern day veteran, Gen X Carey Grant, funny, charming
and handsome : George Clooney. In the other corner, Gen Y's answer, the
brooding Ryan Gossling.
While this is more than enough of a
selling point for the wives watching Grey's Anatomy week in, week out -
the good news is there is more than just good looks on offer here. Yes,
there is in fact some damn fine acting. And quite a lot of it.
An
idealistic staffer (Gossling) for a newbie presidential candidate
(Clooney) gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the
campaign trail.
There are twists and turns, scandal and sex. In
a world where the fog of the tricks played in politics has been well
and truly lifted, The Ides Of March doesn't exactly offer up anything
new.
Thanks to The Daily Show and The Chaser, we now
know
how transparent a system it is, little more than expensive marketing
exercises.
So what makes The Ides Of March stand alone, what sets it apart from
Wags The Dog? Simple : Acting.
Gossling
and Clooney are in amazing form here, these are two dudes at the peak
of their form in the craft. A scene towards the end of the film inside
of a kitchen is a perfect example of this.
Clooney displays
a deft hand of directing, giving this scene little more than the
occasional cut back and forth from a close up of the respective actors'
faces. It's glorious to experience.
