The timing for the release of this film could hardly be more appropriate. It seems our level of tolerance for the constant bickering and mudslinging, and poison secrets, and empty rhetoric from the current political campaign is usurping our media blitz from caucuses to talk shows, to interviews, to newspapers, to blogging, to television and radio overkill. The degree of credibility of whether what we are slammed with daily is addressed well in this polished film based on the play 'Farragut North' by Beau Willimon who also adapted his play for the screen with the aid of Grant Heslov and director George Clooney. It is a tight script, a keenly photographed (many dark and tight closeups of the characters as they show their true selves) and observed tale of corruption that helps us all understand more of why our political campaigns are hard to believe and tolerate.
Stephen Meters (Ryan Gosling in a brilliant performance) is an idealistic staff member of Governor Mike morris (George Clooney) in his race for the Ohio primary against Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell). Steve believes in Morris' idealism and is free of corruption until he comes under the spell of the campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman, also superb), The campaign is close and much depends on the support of Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) who owns over 300 delegates and is holding out his support for payola as a promised Secretary of State position. Thompson's campaign manager is the smart and smarmy Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) who is not beyond the darkest moves to manage his candidate's victory. Both camps are hounded by the press in the form of Ida (Marisa Tomei). One of Morris' interns - Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), who happens to be the daughter of the powerful DNC chairman jack Stearns (Gregory Itzin) - is beautiful and smart and seductive and wins the attention of the idealistic Steve, a liaison that eventually leads to the uncovering of some very dark secrets that alter Steve's idealism, making him just as cynical and dirty as those around him.
Yes, political thrillers such as this have been done before, but this one manages to address the issues of idealism versus greedy two-faced cheating and corruption better than the others. Much of this is due to Clooney's excellent direction but the success of the film is also due to the line of exceptional performances by Gosling, Clooney, Hoffman, Giamatti, Wright and Wood. There are small supporting roles by Jennifer Ehle and Max Minghella that enhance the overall drama. It may be too frank for many viewers, but it is a microscopic view of the process through which we move to elect the President of this country - and that process is flawed and difficult to observe as it is defined here. Highly Recommended.
Grady Harp
Stephen Meters (Ryan Gosling in a brilliant performance) is an idealistic staff member of Governor Mike morris (George Clooney) in his race for the Ohio primary against Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell). Steve believes in Morris' idealism and is free of corruption until he comes under the spell of the campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman, also superb), The campaign is close and much depends on the support of Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) who owns over 300 delegates and is holding out his support for payola as a promised Secretary of State position. Thompson's campaign manager is the smart and smarmy Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) who is not beyond the darkest moves to manage his candidate's victory. Both camps are hounded by the press in the form of Ida (Marisa Tomei). One of Morris' interns - Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), who happens to be the daughter of the powerful DNC chairman jack Stearns (Gregory Itzin) - is beautiful and smart and seductive and wins the attention of the idealistic Steve, a liaison that eventually leads to the uncovering of some very dark secrets that alter Steve's idealism, making him just as cynical and dirty as those around him.
Yes, political thrillers such as this have been done before, but this one manages to address the issues of idealism versus greedy two-faced cheating and corruption better than the others. Much of this is due to Clooney's excellent direction but the success of the film is also due to the line of exceptional performances by Gosling, Clooney, Hoffman, Giamatti, Wright and Wood. There are small supporting roles by Jennifer Ehle and Max Minghella that enhance the overall drama. It may be too frank for many viewers, but it is a microscopic view of the process through which we move to elect the President of this country - and that process is flawed and difficult to observe as it is defined here. Highly Recommended.
Grady Harp