Viewed in
2011
Formats
Movie theater
Premise
Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood in a political drama about an idealistic staffer who works for a newbie presidential candidate on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.
Loved
Awesome cast.
Liked
Smart writing, strong acting.
Thoughts
With a ridiculous cast, chances are it could've been underwhelming. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.
There were many things to like, such as the strong performances throughout. Every name got their moment to shine with some cool monologue about dirty politics. Gosling continued his impressive run of movies, and carried this star-laden film with his silent yet powerful gaze. Clooney was perfect as the enchanting political candidate, and Wood exuded sweetness and naivety.
As a director, Clooney was solid. He let the story and characters do the flashy stuff while making sure it was easy for people like me to stay engaged in the tangled web of mind games and ulterior motives. I would get lost occasionally on political maneuvering details, but it was more important to know who was doing what to whom. When the sh*t hits the fan for Gosling's character, I was definitely on the edge of my seat.
And maybe I lied a bit about not being underwhelmed. With a cast and premise like this, it sadly did not blow me away. I never felt like it brought anything new to the table for this genre. While the characters were fleshed out and well-acted, they were hard to love and root for. Also, when a film is overstocked with great actors, some usually get the short end of the stick, and in this case, Tomei, Jeffery Wright, and Gregory Itzin got lost in the shuffle.
Overall, it was an excellent film, thanks to the story and performances. Maybe it was folly for me to expect greatness.
What I would change
Nothing.
