Ides of March

         Ides of March had too much promise and seemed to be one of the  best movies of 2011, but I was sorely disappointed. It was interesting, but flawed as well.
        The movie had superb acting and an excellent plot fill with great twists. The acting alone made this movie great. It had an amazing cast; Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, and even The Social Network's Max Minghella gave solid performances. Ryan Gosling's acting has reached a new zenith with his films Drive and Ides of March. His film presence overwhelmed the "acting greats"(Hoffman, Giamatti, and Clooney) in most scenes. Gosling has shown amazing flexibility in playing drama and romantic films, which is made evident with films such as The Notebook, Crazy Stupid Love, Fracture, and Drive. His acting and film presence only continues to improve, and will some day rise to become one of the best actors of today. Giamatti and Hoffamn continuously prove their affinities in dramatic movies, which is also seen in Cinderalla Man and Doubt, this movie was no exception. Their passion and conviction enriched each scene. Clooney, Wood, Tomei, and Minghella also gave solid performances, but unfortunately their performances were overshadowed by Gosling, Hoffman and Giamatti.
         The plot was simply brilliant. It expresses it main themes of corruption, loss of innocence, and scandal throughout the movie in a compelling way. The plot's main appeal lies with the plot twists in the movie. It shocks and captivates the audience.
         However,  the film also had many faults. Even though the plot was brilliant, there was no excitement. The twists and confrontation were interesting, but they were far from thrilling. It was like looking at intense scenes depicted at paintings. It did not make my pulse quicken nor did it make me perspire.
         Also, even though the plot was well written, it cannot escape its banal and mundane roots.The film did not surprise me with new information about politics. Movies have been made that contained the similar plots.
          Other than these faults, the film did not make me clap, or feel any emotion. The film was good, not great. Its trailer linked it with potential, but sadly did not live up to its potential.