VENICE, Italy — Idealism loses out to cynicism in George Clooney’s political drama “The Ides of March,” which opened the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday. Mr. Clooney directed, wrote and acted in the political drama that features Ryan Gosling as a gung-ho press secretary swept into a sex scandal in the final days of a Democratic presidential primary in Ohio. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti are rival campaign managers who use loyalty as a weapon in their epic battle for victory.
Marisa Tomei plays a New York Times reporter angling for scoops on the campaign trail. And Evan Rachel Wood, a pretty campaign volunteer eager to play in the big leagues, is yet another figure giving female political interns a bad rap.
Mr. Clooney’s idealistic presidential candidate, Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris, has a straightforward platform: He’s nonreligious but defends the freedom of religion. He also opposes the death penalty and wants to phase out internal combustion engines to reduce American dependence on foreign oil.
Mr. Clooney plays the presidential candidate but told reporters at the festival he is not looking to be one in real life.
“As for running for president, look, there’s a guy in office right now who is smarter than almost anyone you know, who’s nicer and who has more compassion than almost anyone you know. And he’s having an almost impossible time governing. Why would anybody volunteer for that job?” Mr. Clooney told a news conference.
“I have a really good job. I get to hang out with very seductive people. So I have no interest.”
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Poster Comment:
This Hollywood airhead should drop the C from his last name . . .
