"The Ides of March" Gets My Vote

With the extensive coverage of the Republican presidential debates currently going on, as well as my, for lack of a better word, hatred for politics,  I found myself wondering why I was in the theater for The Ides of March.  Truth is, I had a free ticket and knew of the potential Oscar buzz for George Clooney's latest project.  I went in thinking it would be one of those movies that's only considered good because of who is responsible for it, and overall it'd be rather dull and boring.  However, I was wrong.  The Ides of March is truly captivating, due to the renowned cast, the great twists, and of course, Clooney's directing.

The film follows Stephen Meyers, wonderfully played by Ryan Gosling, the Junior Campaign Manager for Mike Morris (George Clooney), Governor of Pennsylvania and a Democratic presidential candidate.  It takes place in Ohio, where Meyers and the Senior Campaign Manager, Paul Zara, (Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is perfect as always) are trying to enlist support for Morris, which would basically guarantee his nomination.  It is clear that Meyers is a very important asset to the campaign, which leads to the rival candidate's campaign manager, Tom Duffy, played by Paul Giamatti (also perfect), asking for a meeting with Meyers to try and convince him to join the other side.  Overall, the movie focuses on loyalty, which is something that Hoffman gives a powerful speech about.

It's difficult to say much about the plot without giving away the twists, but if you thought it would be just a boring movie about politics like I did, you need to realize it's nothing of the sort.  Although the story is genuinely entertaining, The Ides of March really is about the acting.  Ryan Gosling will most likely be nominated for Best Actor.  There's one scene that had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to stomp someone's head to a pool of blood a la Drive.  It didn't happen, but Gosling continues to prove that he could be the next Clooney.  The poster for Ides couldn't be more appropriate and accurate.  George Clooney may not get a nod, but in my opinion, his character should be the next president.  Philip Seymour Hoffman could get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but he probably could've gotten that for Along Came Polly too.  He's always superb.  The most captivating performance had to be from Evan Rachel Wood as Molly Stearns, an intern for Morris' campaign.  She ends up having a much bigger impact than your average coffee-fetching 20-something.

If you're looking to escape the real news regarding politics and want a more appealing story than whatever is going on with Mitt Romney or Michele Bachmann, then check out The Ides of March.  You'd probably also save some time for when Oscar season rolls around and you're racing to the theater to see everything that's nominated.

"Moneyball" For The Win

Whether you're a baseball fan or not, I'm almost positive you'll really enjoy Moneyball.  And if you don't for some reason, I'm sure you'll at least be able to appreciate it as a great work of cinema.  The film starts off showing the 2001 postseason game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.  It's portrayed as if you are watching it through an old, fuzzy television to make it seem more historic.  Although this is just the first few minutes of the film, you immediately start to root for the underdog as you learn just how much more money the Yankees have than a low-budget baseball team like the A's.  I felt a little bad being a Yankee fan, but it didn't alter my love of the pinstripes.  However, it is a very moving film and for 2 hours and 6 minutes I was rooting for Billy Beane's baseball club.

After a very tough loss for the A's (not just the postseason game but also star players like Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon), the general manager, Billy Beane, played by a very funny and emotional Brad Pitt, realizes that he needs to completely restructure his team.  He does so with the help of Peter Brand, wonderfully played by Jonah Hill, who does all the calculations to assemble a brand new ball club.  Together, they focus heavily on players' on base percentage, which upsets the older scouts who Beane has worked with for years.  At first this seems to be a complete failure, but if you know anything about the A's, they end up making baseball history.  

I'm not going to bother summarizing the whole movie.  If you want to know what happened with Billy Beane and the 2002 Oakland Athletics, you could Google it in a heartbeat.  However, if you want to see a fantastic performance by Brad Pitt and the rest of the cast, and see baseball from a powerful emotional perspective, then see Moneyball.  Jonah Hill, although quite funny in this role, further proves he is more than just someone to laugh at on the big screen.  Philip Seymour Hoffman is perfectly cast as Art Howe, the stubborn manager who refuses to test Beane's strategy.  It is also great to see Chris Pratt, from Parks and Recreation, on the big screen.  As for the star, Brad Pitt manages to keep the audience cheering by his side whether he is hilariously making player trades with the help of Jonah Hill, or unleashing his hotheaded fury on players and occasionally objects in his clubhouse as a result of consistent losses.  He is at his best, however, while sharing the screen with Kerris Dorsey, who plays Beane's smart and talented daughter.

Overall, Moneyball is a terrific film.  Many people are calling it The Social Network of baseball movies.  I guess I would agree, not just because this is also written by Aaron Sorkin, but because it is an intelligent and possibly Oscar-worthy motion picture.  But do you have to be a baseball fan to like Moneyball?  I don't think so.  You'll certainly enjoy it a lot more if you are, but either way, Moneyball is a home run.