The Ides of March

"The Ides of March" is a film about the death of idealism at the hands of a murderously cutthroat political system. It is not a political thriller. No guns blaze in leather-clad hands. No pricey sedans try to run people down in shadowy parking garages. This is more about political manipulation than plot twists. The only assassins in "The Ides of March" are out to kill the democratic process. It can trace it's cinematic lineage back to "The Candidate" and "All the President's Men", films about the corruption of American ideals in the quest for power. That's highfalutin' prose about what turns out to be a very simple and straight-forward story. And if this film is even a little bit truthful, man, America is screwed.

George Clooney plays a presidential candidate in a two-way race for the nomination. He has the inside track but there are still some dirty political tricks to play. His campaign manager, (an excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his political strategist and media coordinator (Ryan Gosling) have the nomination almost sewn up when that old nemesis of political candidates everywhere shows up-the pretty campaign intern. God, by now you'd think that these guys would learn to keep their pants zipped.

The idealistic Gosling now has messes to clean up- the girl needs an abortion, there's a nosy reporter from the Times (Marissa Tomei is really terrific-what a great career she has) and then he has to deal with the rival campaign manager who is a master manipulator of the process (another excellent performance by Paul Giamatti).
The plot is really not all that complicated, sparse even. But who comes out on top and how they do it is a fascinating treatise on the process. It ain't pretty but it's fascinating. When you combine crisp writing and sparkling acting with a point of view, good filmmaking is sure to follow. It does so here.

This film is the George Clooney show. He co-writes, directs and stars. But as usual lately, the brightest star in the constellation is Ryan Gosling. His talent level doesn't really surprise me anymore. Now it's all about the kind of roles he chooses and this choice adds admirably to his catalogue.
It'll be interesting to see if this one gets the same kind of awards traction that "Goodnight and Good Luck" did. It just might score big time. It really does deserve it.

50/50

There are lots of movies about cancer and cancer survivors on Lifetime Network and Oprah's new station. But what elevates a film out of cheap soap opera manipulation into one that operates on a more honest and daring level? Two things: script and cast.
It's hard to make a feel-good movie about a cancer diagnosis. The right approach is to make an honest film that has dignity and humor. Bingo. That's what happened here. The film is written by Will Reiser. At a young age, Reiser was diagnosed with a tumor of the same type as 50/50's protagonist. It's the kind of research you would wish on no one. But having lived through it, Reiser is able to dramatize the situation with authority and insight. Well done.
Adam, played with a gentle dignity by Joseph Gordon Levitt, has back pain that is found to be a malignant tumor on his spine. The science of this is conveyed by a jackass of an oncologist who understands lots about cancer and nothing of humanity. The rest of the film is about how the people in Adam's life deal with the disease. His best friend (Seth Rogan) sees an opportunity to use the diagnosis as a tool to get him laid. His mother (a brilliant Angelica Huston) is overwhelmed. His girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) gives the supportive thing the old college try but is incapable of that kind of unselfish behavior. Anna Kendrick plays a young therapist struggling to apply her book-learned sympathy in a real-life situation.
And of course Adam himself must learn to overcome a soul-sucking numbness and deal with his own mortality at a far-too-young age. The antagonist in this film is cancer, or more specifically, what we all think of cancer. It's a movie about overcoming fear.
Let me list out the other thing that makes this film pretty terrific. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Angelica Huston, Anna Kendrick, Philip Baker Hall, Bryce Dallas Howard. It's an all-star list and each of these fine actors bring it, and I mean they bring it in spades. Not a weak link in the chain. (Sag voters take note-Best Ensemble?).
Don't let the heavy subject matter deter you. 50/50 is a story well-told, a script well-written and a film well-acted.