Politics and deception are the names of the game in The Ides of March, George Clooney’s fourth attempt at directing a movie. The Ides of March is a movie set in Ohio during the next presidential election in which Clooney plays presidential candidate Mike Morris.

But first, a little history. The title, The Ides of March borrows from historic literature and perfectly explains the film. In Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Caesar’s soothsayer told him to “beware the ides of March.” The term ides of march refers to the ancient roman calender, meaning the middle of March, in which Caesar was assassinated and betrayed.

This translates perfectly into the film as betrayal and deception are a way of life in the campaign. And the film even takes place during, you guessed it, the middle of march. Coincidence? I think not.

But the real action centers around Morris’ new campaign advisor, Stephen Meyers, played by the glorious Ryan Gosling. Meyers’ character is well developed and easy to relate to; as he learns the ins and outs of Morris’ campaign, so do we, connecting the audience and Stephen Meyers very closely. This come into play later in the film as Meyers undergoes traumatic and life-changing experiences concerning the darker sides of running a campaign. Gosling’s character starts out as a new advisor who plays the game by the rules, but later changes personalities and plays other campaigns against each other.

Clooney’s character was developed well with a solid background giving the character some color. Clooney’s acting was also superb, delivering one of the most intense and jaw-dropping confrontations I’ve seen in a film. Great acing is everywhere in this film, featuring the aforementioned Gosling and Clooney, plus star performances from Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and Evan Rachel Wood.

Some of the best and most convincing acting I’ve seen in a movie combines with a well written plot of deception and revenge to make The Ides of March one of my favorite movies this year. So if you find yourself craving a movie packed with good acting and an engaging plot, this film is just what you need and definitely worth checking out.

LittleHawk Rating: 8.5/10