The Ides of March may be a political thriller co-written by, directed by and starring leading man George Clooney, but hot property Ryan Gosling steals the show in an award-worthy performance. He’s Stephen Myers, an idealistic campaign staffer working on the presidential bid for democratic candidate governor Mike Morris (Clooney). As the campaign trail progresses, Myers uncovers a world of blackmail and deceit, and starts questioning if Morris is everything he’s leading the public to believe. The film benefits from a powerful cast, including Paul Giamatti and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who bring stodgy political rhetoric to life. But even amongst the film’s heavy-hitting actors, Gosling shines as the leading man, becoming the primary candidate to follow in Clooney’s footsteps.
This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2011.