The Ides of March

A few weeks ago, I went to see The Ides of March in the theatre.  Along with George Clooney and Ryan Gosling, the movie also includes some of the best actors in Hollywood like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood.  The acting is great and the storyline was interesting and intriguing, especially with the Presidential race gaining momentum.  The story follows a candidate played by Clooney, and the experiences of both he and the campaign workers from the psychology of elections to secrets and cover up, eventually ending in tragedy.  I think the movie does its job in portraying politics as a high stakes game where people livelihood and lives are on the line.  The characters present themselves as having integrity, but throughout the movie, events happen that challenge maintaining what is right and what is right for the campaign.  Secrets run rampant throughout the political world, and although everyone knows all the BS that goes into politics, this movie really showed how deep the secrets go.  The movie made me really think about the decisions we make and how each decision can change the course of life.  I thought it was well acted, well written, and thought provoking.