Ides of March (October 7, 2011) (87)

God - I've almost totally forgotten this movie. It's based on an off-Broadway play and really feels like that. It's a very small political story about a guy running for President in the Ohio primary (George Clooney) who has a young political advisor (Ryan Gosling) who is sought after by his main rival. There's some messiness with a young intern (of course), and lots of banal liberal claptrap about energy policy and giving power to the people. It's all very stagey and very slight. Clooney, who also directed the picture, does an adequate job with the script, but can't overcome the mundaneness of the story. It all feels very on-the-nose about our political system, but doesn't really say anything significant. I love independent, non-profit theater, but this is a bad example of the worst part of it. This was clearly adapted because of the subject matter rather than the strength of the work. I'm totally uninterested in it.

Stars: 1.5 of 4