Movie Details
| Title: | The Ides of March | |
| Director: | George Clooney | |
| Year: | 2011 | |
| Genre: | Drama | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 03.27.14 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (5)
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
- Good Night, and Good Luck
- Leatherheads
- The Midnight Sky
- The Monuments Men
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 03.27.14 | Netflix | Just as Aaron Sorkin had The American President as a blueprint for The West Wing, Beau Willimon's play Farragut North turns into this film as a precursor to House of Cards. That was my primary reason for going back and watching this... well that and I kept hearing that it was good. I liked it. I think Clooney is a competent/talented director with enough clout to bring interesting projects to the screen. Some are better than others but none of them are terrible (even Leatherheads which has a few moments that make it worth watching I think). Of course I say that not having seen Monuments Men yet. hah. Anyway, this is another solid political drama. Great deep cast. Great script. And notably it doesn't feel like a filmed play to me. There are enough locations and scene changes where I didn't get too bogged down in monologues and soliloquies. It's kind of hard not to be infuriated that all politics in all movies equals unbridled cynicism though. Like shouldn't we be outraged that our appointed leaders and the whole process is so dirty and wrong and all we can do is revel in the decrepitude of it all? Like "haha the president is a murderer! I love it!" Is that a good thing? "of course! who wouldn't fuck Evan Rachel Wood! I mean even after Marilyn Manson, she's still hot!" I don't know... it all feels a bit negative. Sorkin gets a lot of flak for having some romantic notions and veering into sappiness but at least it's hopeful. This is really dark. Still liked it though. Also... the score for the end credits is great. All movie it's this brooding horns and bassline then when the cast list starts this funky guitar comes in with these drum rolls and all of a sudden the horns take on a funk flair and it's pretty awesome. I hope the last episode of House of Cards turns that famous bassline into a similar funky groove to let everyone breathe again. |
