The Place Beyond the Pines is an Engrossing Journey of Fathers and Sons, along with the Haves and Have Nots

The Place Beyond the Pines (3 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by: Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine)

Written by: Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), Ben Coccio (The Beginner), and Darius Marder

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and Ryan Gosling

Prior to watching this film I knew that some of it was filmed in my home town Schenectady, New York, but I did not realize the film was set in that town.  Watching the film, and seeing a police car chase on Brandywine Street, through the cemetery, and onto State Street, places I have seen many times created a built in connection to this film.  Along with this scene there were glimpses of Trustco Bank, my bank, a small bank in the capitol district of upstate New York.  The setting of this film feels like one of the characters, and ironically connects with the title.  Schenectady is Mohawk for "place beyond pine plains."  This setting helps create the backdrop to an interesting one intensely rich film.

Pines weaves together three different story connecting from start to finish the role which status and family play within different people lives.  Luke (Gosling) is with what looks like a traveling fair which goes from city to city; he is an expert motorcycle rider, riding around on his bike in a cage with others.  After meeting Romina (Mendes) years later the two have a one night stand.  Luke returns one year later to find that he has a son.  Luke quite his job in order to attempt to take care of his son, while Romina has moved on with someone else.  As Luke becomes desperate he starts to robs bank leading his story to connect with police office named Avery (Cooper).  Without giving away the direction of the film, the story spans a long period of time in which the sins of fathers come back to haunt their sons.

Throughout time there have been numerous books from the Bible to Shakespeare which give meaning to the adage of the sins of the father.  The adage I am most familiar with comes from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice which states  "The sins of the father are to be laid upon the children."  This is one of the common themes throughout the film which the three screenwriters explore within Pines.  While Luke is almost laden in mystery we do know that he grew up without a father, and he wants to help be there and raise his son because he grew up messed up and he attributes it to his father being absent.  On the other hand Avery's father has almost too much of an active role in his life defining him to be someone of merit and value, putting this invisible pressure on him which permeates throughout the film.  

The father son element of the film is handled excellently, especially in the third act as you get to watch Luke and Avery's sons experience their father's have or or have not done for them.  The scripts exploration of the "haves" versus the "have nots" is also handled well.  Luke comes from nothing as does Romina.  Meanwhile while Avery and his family do have money their power and influence within the system (at the beginning of the film) provide them with a launching point, which provides them with tons of opportunities.  The city of Schenectady plays a great role in creating this class distinction.  Schenectady, an old industrial town provides the vantage point of creating the great class divide, something transparent for people who do not call the place home.

Cianfrance's other work Blue Valentine is a little bit tighter with developing the relational divides, and building to the disconnect than Pines.  As the film winds down to the third act, and the focus is on both Luke and Avery's sons there is obviously still and interest in the impact of "the sins of the father" but the film starts to lose the steam momentum that penetrates throughout the beginning of the film.  I believe this lack unraveling also has to do with the young boy playing AJ (Emory Cohen) who like his film father (Cooper) loses believability with their emotions.  Cooper wowed in Silver Linings Playbook, but I lost him in this film, and his internal struggle was overwrought and conveyed too much with over the acting at times.  Meanwhile like Luke (Gosling)  both he and his film son Jason (Dennis DeHaan) exuded this ferocity within their facial expressions and quiet performances.  Gosling is a master at conveying his acting with the look (see Drive, and Blue Valentine).

The film conveys a deep emotional experience that connects you with their characters, and the journey they are which seems for all unfortunately pre-destined.  In an era where we want to break free of the class chains this film exposes the powerlessness most succumb to, and the way in which our lot in life determines our place.  Pines is a great drama, with a solid script emphasizing the way in which society and the people around us especially our fathers can define the experiences people face.

Pretty Boys and Oscar: Where Have all the Hot Men Gone?

Throughout the many years I have followed the Oscars and become an award show junky, there has been one fact that was evident, Oscar is not a huge fan of the "pretty boys."  Who are the pretty boys you ask?  Well you could also define these "pretty boys" as the attractive leading men of their time.  Throughout the year men like Cary Grant, Robert Redford,  Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt,  (and many more) would fit into this category.

Throughout the years award show expert Tom O'Neil (from goldderby.com) has cited this to be a fact, that for some reason the Oscar voters do not crown the heart throbs.  Tom has a point, and while I have never been in 100 percent agreement with the theory, the proof is in the pudding.  I am going to use the men listed  above to talk about their history with Oscar.

Cary Grant was seen as a heart throb, the leading man of his time; he not only did films like Philadelphia Story, but did some other great dramatic films like Charade, Notorious, and North by Northwest.  Grant was nominated for two Academy Awards in the Lead Actor Category, and the films were Penny Serenade (1942) and None but the Lonely Heart (1945).  Grant did not win for either film, but he did an Honorary Oscar in 1970 four years after his last credited role.

Perhaps Grant is the first example of some of the reasons the "heart throb" is never taken seriously.  Cary Grant reminds me of a modern day George Clooney he is charming and suave, and a lot of his work takes on blended comedic/dramatic elements.  Comedy is rarely honored at the Oscars.  Grant is the only one on this specific list who would fit that mold.  The other reason Grant missed out on nominations for some of his most famous works like North by Northwest, Notorious, and Charade, was because throughout the years there has been a bias against genre films.  The Academy has gotten better with this but grant could or should have been nominated for one of these films, if not them then Philadelphia Story where two of his co-stars were nominated and one of them one.

The perfect modern example of the "pretty boy" is Brad Pitt.  Pitt hit the silver screen in 1991 with a small role in Thelma and Louise, the role focused on his good looks, and focused on Pitt as a sex symbol.  This status continued, and Pitt was known as the celebrity straight men would consider s

Let's look at Grant's co-star Jimmy Stewart who wont the Oscar for Philadelphia Story.  Stewart never was seen as a "looker" he was tall skinny bean pole who was a great leading man, but was never considered to the ladies or man's choice in regards to looks.  While many may look at Grant today and think the same thing; he was in fact one of the "studs" of his time.

Let's transition from the end of Cary Grant's career when he was older and won his Honorary Academy Award to one of the major "heart throbs" of the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Robert Redford.  Redford was in numerous films popular and well received films during this time Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Way We Were (1973), The Sting (1973), Three Days at the Condor (1975), All the President's Men (1976), The Natural (1984), and Out of Africa (1985).

Throughout his years as an Actor Redford was only nominated once for acting Oscar for The Sting.  Of the films that received Oscar nominations (beyond The Sting) most of his female co-stars received nominations while Redford did not, Barbara Streisand (The Way We Were), Jane Alexander (All the President's Men), Glenn Close (The Natural), and Meryl Streep (Out of Africa).  You have to think that as the lead in these films Redford deserved some recognition for his acting, but he was never honored in this field.

I can already hear the dissension from folk saying "But wait didn't Robert Redford win an Oscar in 1980  Directing Ordinary People?  The answer is yes, but this started a trend where the Academy Awards loved to honor those actors who stepped behind the camera rather than showing off their pretty face on screen all the time.  Warren Beatty (who was also another heart throb) fit this model just won year later winning Best Director for Reds (1981).  Redford's leading man looks proved that he could never be taken seriously in front of the camera, but only behind the scenes.

After Redford the next example of a "pretty boy" was the young, and talented Tom Cruise.  Cruise not only made great quality films, but set the example of a box office super star.  Cruise has not only had major box office success with films like Top Gun, and the Mission Impossible series, but has been nominated for three acting Oscars.  Cruises has two Best Actor nominations for Born on the Fourth of July (1989), and Jerry Maguire (1996), and Supporting Actor nomination for Magnolia (1999).  While Cruise never had a shot for his first two nominations; he lost to two of the best working actors today Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (1989), and Geoffrey Rush in Shine (1996). Cruise had his best shot to win for Magnolia; he was the favorite with many critics wins, and a win at the Golden Globes, but eventually lost to Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules.

Cruise is started the de-glam of the pretty boy, which helped nab more acting trophies.  Born on the Fourth of July is a great example, where he transforms himself from an optimistic youth to an angry Vietnam War veteran in a wheel chair.  Magnolia also showed a different side to Cruise proving he has the chops to pull off darker material.  Throughout the years Cruise has gained attention from these "de-glam" roles, like his role as the fat movie producer in Tropic Thunder.  Cruise is a solid modern day example of the Academy still never taking the pretty boy seriously, especially with his loss for Magnolia, Cruise may have to wait until much later in his career, the way his co-star Paul Newman (another good example of his looks preventing him from a win) won for Color of Money.

Brad Pitt is the best example of the modern day heart throb.  Pitt's first major role on the silver screen was in 1991's Thelma and Louise.  While Pitt's role was small, the film focused on his ripped body, getting women and men to consider him as an object of affection.  Pitt would forever be known as sex symbol, getting even straight men to consider going to bed with him.  While over the years Pitt has proven himself more than a pretty face getting some great dramatic and comedic roles, and proving he has true talent.

Like Cruise Pitt has only been nominated for three acting trophies at the Oscars, one Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and two Lead Actor Oscar nominations.  Pitt's first nomination came in 1995 for the film 12 Monkeys (Best Supporting Actor); he took away all the frills of his looks and "de-glammed" for this role.  Like with Cruise Pitt won the Golden Globe for this film but lost the Oscar to Kevin Spacey. Pitt's Lead Actor Oscar nominations came much later in his acting career, first in 2009 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and then in 2012 for Moneyball.  The majority of his award show attention from the Oscars has come as he has aged and reached his late 40s.

These four examples are just the icing on the cake, there is Leonardo DiCaprio who was snubbed for Titanic (1997) while co-star Kate Winslet was nominated, Ryan Gosling snubbed for both Driver and The Ides of March (2012), and many more.  These are two current working actors who have recieved Oscar nominations, but have never been honored.  Are their looks to blame?  Ar Oscar voters jealous?  These men have turned in some great performances, but none have them have made it to the Oscar podium for an acting win.

George Clooney is one of the rare cases of "heart throbs" who have won Oscars for an acting performance.  Clooney did not however win in the Lead Actor Category he won for his "supporting "de-glammed" performance in Syriana.  Clooney was also nominated in two other categories this year Best Director (he was up against Ang Lee), and Best Original Screenplay (he was up against Crash-the eventual Best Picture winner).  Academy voters knew they needed to honor him so they picked the least competitive category.

This year's Best Actor race will provide the opportunity for two men who fit within this category to be nominated Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), and Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook).  At the moment neither stands a chance of beating the method acting of Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln.  Maybe being a "pretty boy" is enough, but these men deserve their due, and should not have to wait until their looks fade, the way many actors have to wait.

Television and Film Characters that I Wish I Could Date

Tonight while watching Parks and Recreation my crush on television character Ben Wyatt was furthered; he is one of the most adorkable characters on television.  This made me think about the other television and film characters that would be worth dating, or based on their character that I would like to be with.  This had nothing to do with looks although all of these guys are pretty darn attractive too.

Ben Wyatt (played by Adam Scott) Parks and Recreation-The man who started the list; he is smart, funny, dresses up like Batman, what more could I want?

Tom (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt) 500 Days of Summer-A hopeless romantic who even though there is a bit of an obsessive behavior, he a great funny guy, who likes The Smiths.

Noah (played by Ryan Gosling) The Notebook-He built her a house; he read to her everyday in the nursing home (while older), he climbed a Ferris Wheel to sit next to her, this guy has a crazy side to him, but wow is he the ultimate romantics fantasy.

Lloyd Dobler (played by John Cusack) Say Anything-Holding a boom box (yes a boom box not a ipod home) over your head and playing "In Your Eyes" nuff said.

Christian (played by Ewan McGregor) Moulin Rouge!-Love is many splendid thing, love lifts us up where we belong; he sings, and falls for a whore.  Christian has the soul of a poet, and there is something beautiful about his belief in love.

Sam Seaborn (played by Rob Lowe) The West Wing-A smart, sarcastic, political strategist who works in the White House, who wouldn't want to be with him?

Ferris Bueller (played by Matthew Broderick) Ferris Bueller's Day Off-He breaks all the rules, does what he wants, and still is a great guy, where are the real Ferris Buellers ?

Ben Bruckner (played by Robert Gant) Queer as Folk-The professor with the pecs of steel. I love Ben; he is one of the good guys on this show, not only does he stand up for his man, but he is one of the best boyfriends I have seen on television.

Hubbell (played by Robert Redford) The Way We Were-Your girl is lovely Hubbell, five of the most heartbreaking words ever spoken on film.  Hubbell is the jock, the boy next door, and has this soft beautiful side on the inside.

Marshall Eriksen (played by Jason Segel) How I Met Your Mother-Marshall has always been the perfect best friend, and husband, although he is a little (or a lot) awkward, he still is one of the best guys.

2011 Entertainer(s) of the Year: Adele is Entertainer of the Year

1-Adele-My entertainer of the year was a no brainer, Adele.  Adele's tunes simply put are some of the best music produced this year.  Adele's album has been certified gold, and sold 4 million plus copies, and her single "Rolling in the Deep" is the number one single of the year in the US.  Adele is from the UK and her album sales make her the most successful artist within the last ten years.  This woman is an unstoppable force, with a soulful voice.  Adele's "Someone Like You," is also doing well on the singles charts, and i imagine her third single "Set Fire to the Rain" will be another huge hit!  I first heard Adele back in 2004 when she was the free itunes single of the week with her song "Hometown Glory."  I have been hooked ever since, and am proud to make Adele my entertainer of the year.

2-Ryan Gosling-Why him?  This guy is much more than his looks.  Gosling has consistently moved beyond his good looks (should have been named People Magazine's sexiest man alive this year) and moved towards being a strong leading male; he has also taken roles in more off beat films.  Gosling starred in three different films this year and was amazing in each film.  Crazy Stupid Love showed how witty, sarcastic, and funny he can be,  give this man more roles like this!  In Drive Gosling did more with his facial expression than with the actual dialogue.  Drive is one of the more unique films of the year, and Gosling was spell binding in this film.  Neither of those films provided his best performance; his best performance was in Ides of March.  Ides of March has Gosling hitting every range of emotion, and never missing a beat; he provided strong performances in each of these films, and made these movies even better than they could have been!

3-Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne-These women rock!  Melissa McCarthy is hilarious, while she was great in the Gilmore Girls, 2011 was her year!  McCarthy has Mike and Molly on CBS sitcom.  At this past year's Emmy Awards she won Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series (a huge surprise); her star power is making this show a hit.   Rose Byrne continued her work on the television series Damages and she starred in X-Men: First Class as Moira McTaggert.  Maya Rudolph is a scene stealing talk show host on the NBC sitcom Up All Night. Wiig is the star of Saturday Night Live;she is one the few females on the show and she makes this still a relevant funny variety series.  Then Wiig writes a screenplay for a film and when all four women's powers combine you get the funniest film of the year, Bridesmaids.  These four women are amazing and have provided some incredible laughter, and with Byrne a little bit of drama for 2011.

4-The cast of Game of Thrones-This show was a phenomena.  I came to the game late and watched the entire first season around Thanksgiving, but I was blown away by the talented cast.  The cast does not have a lot of big names, the biggest during the first season are Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey, but together they have created a series that illuminates a mystical world.  Dinklage was honored with the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; he is great, but this ensemble works like a well oiled machine, and it's hard to single out one person that stands out.  Sure people will have their favorite character(s), but this ensemble provided some of the best acting this year, and made this show more than just a Fantasy show, it brought to life great literature.

5-Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis-These two are both twoof the stars of the hit film The Help, and within that film that are both polar opposites and at odds with each other.  Chastain plays a woman hell bent on creating seperate restrooms for "the help" while Davis plays Abileen of of the maids who works for white families and decides to tell her story.  Their performances in this film are great but both of them did not just take on these roles this year.  Davis has a supporting role in the film that will be released this month Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closewhich looks to provide her with more strong material.  Chastain seems to be in a lot of of films this year; she played the mother in Tree of Life, the wife to Michael Shannon in Taking Shelter (her best performance), and she was in The Debt and Coralanus.  These two women may have been at odds in The Help but they have proved to be two talented actresses.

6-Daniel Radcliffe-Daniel Radcliffe "The boy who lived come to die" was the star of this years highest grossing film (to date).  Radcliffe has been a part of the entire Harry Potter franchise, and as the series came to a close this year, he will ride off into a wonderful career.  Radcliffe started out an unknown more than ten years ago, and today he is one of the most recognizable faces.  Radcliffe not only starred in the most successful film of the year but he also made his way back to Broadway.  Radcliffe played J. Pierpont Finch in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  While Daniel did not receive any award recognition his star power is a presence he and did a lot for the Harry Potter franchise and on the Great White Way this year.

7-Kanye West and Jay-Z-These two men not only put on the Watch the Throne tour, but they hold the throne as two of most influential musicians working.  The combination of their talent on a critically acclaimed album, and then a well attended tour has made this duo unstoppable this year.  Kanye West leads the pack at the Grammy Awards this year with seven nominations, and shares some of these nominations with the Jigga man.  Not only did these two put out one of the best albums of of the year, but their collaboration has spawned some of the best hip hop music in years, and should prove that this is the direction this genre should take.

8-AMC-This network continues to be a beacon for quality television programming.  In 2011 the network won Best Drama series award for Mad Men. This is the fourth year the series has won this prize.  Mad Men has not aired during the 2011 year but helped the network pick up this award.  During 2011 the network brought the first season of The Killing, which followed the murder of Rosie Larson in Seattle.  The Killing was a critical and ratings success, scoring a slew of Emmy nominations, and was picked up for a second season.  The mystery of Rosie Larson continues.  Breaking Bad returned for its fourth season getting continually better (as the show has done throughout its history), and has grown in popularity.  The Walking Dead returned for its second season and has remained the network highest rated show, scoring 6 million viewers on average.  This network has grown into one of the most reliable channels, and has provided some of the best television this year.


9-Michael Fassbender-This guy took 2011 by storm; he had a few relatively small roles but suddenly became a quality leading man this year.  Fassbender played Rochester in Jane Eyre, then played Eric Lensher aka Magneto in X-Men: First Class,  then one of the father's of psychoanalysis Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method, and finally a sex addict Brandon Sullivan in Shame.  Fassbender's four different roles provided him with a tremendous career change and served to be some of the best acting this year.  This man is a marvel, and every film he starred in provided people with something different from his dark action packed turn as Magneto to his exploration of sex addiction.  Fassbender provided some of the best film experiences this year.

10-The cast and crew from All My Children and One Life to 

Live-Laugh at me if you will, but these with both of these show ending this year they pulled together and produced some of the best television they had ever put on in years!  Saying goodbye to Susan Lucci's iconic Erica Kane, classic couple like Angie and Jesse Hubbard, and Tad the Cad Martin on All My Children was incredibly sad.  While One Life to Live is still on the air, its time is coming to an end soon too.  I started watching One Life to Live later than All My Children, but fell in love with some of the characters quickly.  Erika Slezak's Vicki and her multiple personalities, Bo and Nora reuniting finally, and of course Todd Manning and his evil ways.  Both of these shows provided some beautiful send offs, and worked towards providing satisfying endings.  I will be sad to see them off the air, but the provided some of the best entertainment during 2011.

Things in Movies, TV, and Music I am Thankful for This Year

Movies


More films centered on women-Maybe Hollywood will realize that women centered films can be Post to both solid, and money makers.  Two films that come to mind right away are The Help, and Bridesmaids.  Both films were some of, if not the most entertaining films of this year.  Bridesmaids was hilarious, and there were very few central male characters.  The Help was heartfelt and well acted and was focused centrally on the women.Twitter


The Muppet's-I am so happy this group of puppets is back.  I am so happy Jason Segal brought Kermit, Miss. Piggy, Gonzo, Fozie, and Animal back into my life.  The movie was hilarious, and brought out some great celebrity cameos.


Marvel Comic Book Movies-They started with Thor, then there X-Men: First Class (the best) , and closed out with Captain America.  These three films took the time create wonderful stories with great action, and unlike Green Lantern or the Green Hornet they did a good balancing story with action.  The other important part was that the casting was well done, from Michael Fassbender as Magneto to Thomas Hiddleston as Loki (the only awful call was January Jones).

Ryan Gosling- This boy can act!  I have seen quality work from him in the past in Blue Valentine, Half Nelson, and Lars and the Real Girl, but he had three amazing performances this year alone.  Gosling started with the summer film Crazy Stupid Love, where he was both sexy and hilarious.  Then Gosling had his starring role in Drive where he played the sulky stuntman/criminal.  He closed out the year with his best performance in The Ides of March where he started out an ambitious aid to a politician and ended up a bitter sullen victim of the game of politics.

Some great Original Screenplays- Midnight in Paris was romantic hilarious and beautifully written.  The Tree of of Life is ambitious and a revelation.  Martha Marcy May Marlene is dark and thrilling.  Margin Call is one of the most interesting looks at current financial situation.  Taking Shelter is a great look mental illness and how fear of losing things shapes our reality.  Even Bridesmaids (with its flaws) is a hilarious piece of work.  There are still so many great ones to come!Th

TV


AMC- The Network is amazing!  They are currently airing The Walking Dead, which is having a great second season.  The first season of The Killing was addicting.  The fourth season of Break Bad continues the show's pattern of only getting better.  Mad Men will be returning in the new year.  What more could anyone want? This network is great!

Emily Van Camp-I love good soapy drama and she is currently the the headline of one of my biggest addictions this year, Revenge.

The Ensembles from Community and The Good Wife


Community has found their groove again, and NBC is shelving them for a short time?  This show has done such an amazing job evolving and continuing to be funny, and I could watch it over and over again.

The Good Wife's ensemble (including its guest stars) work impeccably together.  The cast is lead by Marguilles but this is not a one woman show.  The directors know how to intertwine stories and bring characters together.

Louis CK and Larry David-I am thankful for bitter sarcastic, dark humor!  Louis CK and Larry David have provided that for me this year.  Louis is a much darker version of Seinfeld, and his humor is so on point.  Meanwhile Curb Your Enthusiasm only has gotten better with Larry moving to New York City.

Music


4-I am thankful Beyonce has decided to to follow her heart, and work on music she wanted to make because it has paid off.  With great songs like "I Care" "I was Here" and her bigger hits "Run the World (Girls)" "The Best I've Never Had" and "Countdown" Beyonce should be proud.

Adele-Her voice is flawless and she can actually sing.  I have always loved this women, and new found popularity is great.  This Best New Artist Grammy winner is one of the best singers I have ever heard!

David Guetta-His DJ'ing and new CD is one of my favorite of the year.  This music is my gym mix and all of these songs are what make me want to just get out there and dance

The Ides of March is a Smart Adeptly Made Political Thriller

The Ides of March (4 out of 5 stars)

Directed by: George Clooney (Good Night and Good Luck)

Written by: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and George Clooney

In the fast paced world of politics the idealistic media consultant Steven Myers has thee candidate he believes should be the President competing in the Democratic Primary, Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney). The film centers around Myers idealism and belief in the political system.  At the beginning of the film Myer's character helps craft a a response for his candidate which is aimed to state that the candidate has no religious connections, but Governor Morris believes in the Constitution.

At the center of this film is more than the search for the candidacy of the Democratic Presidential nomination.  The movie is about how power and corruption within the the campaign headquarters.  Steven is "friends" with Paul Morris (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) the campaign manager for Morris.  The film centers around both Democratic candidates trying to win one of the swing states in the primary, Ohio.  Paul tells a reporter for the Times Ida (Marisa Tomei) that Morris is a lock to take Ohio because they have a meeting with one of the top powerful Democrats in Ohio.

The power dynamic is centered around Steven because of his youthful optimism he cares about the candidate, politics, and the future of his country.  Meanwhile as Steven is seen becoming too powerful for Morris, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) the campaign manager for Morris's opponent goes after him hoping he will join their team instead.  As the film continues scandal and intrigue keep this film on a fast paced track leading you to an end that explores how politics can bring everyone to the edge and wipe away the optimism.

Gosling does a great job in this film as he goes from this bright eyed optimist to a man struggling with the corruption and power that exist within the political arena.  Like within other films Gosling's can play the leading man so well, he has charm (wooing Evan Rachel Wood's character).  The supporting cast filled with the candidate himself George Clooney who directed, wrote, and starred in this film is also impressive.  Clooney took this character to a level beyond boredom and gave him more depth and intrigue.  Giamatti plays his role with ease.  While  Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays this mentor who knows the game, but still fights the paranoia of the game he has to play day in and day out.  

I think the strongest part of this film beyond the acting is the writing.  The film is based on Beau Willimon's play "Farragut North" which chronicles his own work on political campaigns.  Heslov, Willimon, and Clooney work well to create the backdrop of the inner workings of a campaign and the struggle the staff has to fight for their candidate and to keep their jobs.  Politics is a dirty game, and the Ides of March uses the language of Caesar to show it!