Episode 40 - The Ides of March *Listener's Choice*

George Clooney's 4th film as director is based on a play called "Farragut North", and won the movie hunk an Oscar nomination for screenwriting.  In "The Ides of March" he plays the pivotal role of a Democratic governor running in a primary election in Ohio.  Ryan Gosling is a key staffer whose immediate superior is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Throw in Paul Giamatti as a staffer for a political rival and you have a crackerjack cast of actors in a dialogue-driven drama.  "The Ides of March" is a study in political corruption that Andrew and Phil ultimately found a little tepid.  While the cast is great and the writing is sharp, the film never quite reaches full boil, and the conclusion feels rushed.  It is clear where Clooney wants us to be ideologically at the film's ending, but has the film earned it's dramatic denouement?  "The Ides of March" is a compelling example of ensemble acting, but perhaps not a classic political expose'. You can download the podcast here by right-clicking on the hypertext link and choosing "save as", or you can use the convenient player located below:If you cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here