Week 3 of the Friday Noon Movie Club. Today we met at The Ides of March. I use the word "we" rather loosely. I sat through the pre-movie commercials alone, then some of the previews. With just a few minutes to go, one of my favorite people walked into the theater and saved me from looking like a lone Ryan Gosling-crazed cougar. For that, I shared my Junior Mints with her.
The first big treat of the afternoon came even before she showed up. I saw a preview for the film version of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE that book? Tom Hanks stars in flashbacks as the deceased father, and Sandra Bullock downplays her glamour to play the mother. I think everyone in the theater had tears in their eyes just from the trailer. Here's hoping it's as good as it looks to be. And if you see it with me, wear something water resistant--I'll be a complete mess throughout. I promise to bring extra Kleenex.
Then I watched about 25,000 people get murdered in different ways in the next 5 or 6 previews. Lovely.
On to The Ides of March. First of all, let me say the movie lived up to the "pervasive language" warning that warranted the R rating. Wow. And, of course, we find another cast of characters who sleep together before they even can say how they feel about each other.
But the movie is full of actors I love: Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, George Clooney, and yes, Ryan Gosling. Plus another quick turn by Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth from the A & E version of Pride and Prejudice), who seems to be turning up in everything these days. I'm thinking she must have had a baby and taken time off, and now she's back.
These actors are well cast, and Gosling is great as young, extremely competent and confident second-in-command of the campaign that is attempting to get Clooney's character the Democratic nomination. Hoffman is running the campaign, and Giamatti is running the opposing campaign. They are both strong and sinister. Almost all the characters have dark motives and schemes worthy of the Shakespearian-tinged title. Gosling's character is an exception; he totally believes in his candidate and wants to help change the world.
Clooney is his usual smooth self, which means he makes a convincing politician. He says a lot of the things I expect Clooney would like to hear a candidate say. But he starts off by saying he is not a Christian, an atheist, a Muslim, or a Jew. He believes in a piece of paper, the Constitution. But of course the Constitution is not a religious document to be "believed in"; it does not provide a moral basis. And this presidential hopeful does not appear to have a moral basis, nor do any of the others in the game. People are collateral damage in the pursuit of getting elected so you can make the country a better place.
In the end, this is a tragedy. There is a serious lack of redemption; The moment where characters should be reaching epiphany passes them by, and they are left hardened and scarred. This is a chess game where all anyone cares about is scoring the checkmate. And you feel sorry for the characters who can only move certain directions on the board, options narrowing as the game develops.
It's a cynical look at politics, which probably doesn't really shock many of us at this point in the current state of the US government.
I got back in the car and turned on the radio. A group called Luminate was on, singing "You make me innocent." It hit me again how grateful I am that, no matter my plans and schemes, God makes me innocent, which is what you need to feel after watching something like this.
That's all for now. If you show up next week, I might share my Junior Mints with you, too. If Brian doesn't cut off my allowance after he finds out I bought candy at the movie.
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