OK, my job this week is to convince you that "The Ides of March" is one of the best films you'll ever see about politics and elections and the eventual disillusion we all come to harbor about both. But this task is complicated by the fact that I don't want to spoil it for you in the least — and believe me, plenty of other reviewers out there will, so watch out.
What I can say is you have George Clooney (who also directs) as a Democratic presidential candidate, Ryan Gosling as his idealistic aide, Evan Rachel Wood as the too-friendly intern, Philip Seymour Hoffman as the seasoned campaign manager and Paul Giamatti as a rival candidate's ruthless campaign boss. All are on top form.
Anyone who's seen the clips will have noted Clooney as the telegenic governor running for president, and given the American tendency to elect celebrity candidates (Ronald Reagan, The Governator, et al), this film almost seems like a preview for a real-life run for office by the movie star. Indeed, viewers familiar with Clooney's off-screen activism will recognize the unapologetically progressive views written into his character's stump speeches, which present him as a kind of liberal wet-dream candidate, like a Bernie Sanders with Mitt Romney hair and an unimpeachable military-service record.