THE SOUNDING BOARD | OCTOBER 27, 2011
ARTS & CULTURE
6
“The Ides of March” : second best movie of the year
#stuffmyprofsays “Taxes are like vampires. The only way to get rid of them is to stab them with a lance or shoot them with a silver bullet. If you don’t get rid of them they will continue to haunt you.” -Dr. Lemler
by PAUL MORALES
“We have a reality more real than the reality we are in.”
Arts & Culture Writer Beginning with “Michael Clayton” in 2007, George Clooney has turned in one lackluster performance after another, culminating with the hugely underwhelming film “The American” last year. Though his role as Governor Mike Morris in this year’s “The Ides of March” is by far his best performance since “Ocean’s Eleven” was released ten years ago, he’s still the least impressive of all the major players in the film. The film’s main character is brought to life by Ryan Gosling, who, with this film, has offered up his third powerhouse performance this year alone. The cast is wonderfully rounded out by four veteran character actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Doubt”), Paul Giamatti (“Lady in the Water”), Jeffrey Wright (“The Manchurian Candidate”), and Marisa Tomei (“The Lincoln Lawyer”). Evan Rachel Wood (“Across the Universe”), a relative newcomer in this crowd, adds life and credibility to the role of the young and dumb intern, a role that could have been obnoxiously flat and trite. The Ides of March tells the story of Gosling’s character Stephen Meyers, a
Crazy Prophet
Dog Dayz
sharp and upcoming staffer on Governor Morris’ presidential campaign. Though Meyers hopes and dreams to run this campaign on strict morals and ideals, he quickly learns that Morris is not the last hope for integrity in politics, and the world he’s living in is not as clear-cut as he may have thought. Bombarded by betrayal and lies from every angle, Meyers must adapt – or die. Gosling’s eyes, in many scenes, really steal the show. The man looks downright crazy in one scene, as though he might break out into a rage and start ripping apart desks and doors with his bare hands. Yet somehow he manages to pull it off with honesty, and the audience is actually nervous that, somehow, they might be next. But in spite of being surrounded by all of these clearly more talented actors, this movie remains a towering bastion, an unshakeable monument dedicated to the proposition that George Clooney still matters in the movie business. In his fourth effort behind the camera as director, George Clooney has created one of the best movies this year. Soundtrack buffs take note: this movie
should be seen based on its score alone. One enthusiastic viewer noted, “That movie was really creepy. I found myself turning around and looking over my shoulder even though nothing really scary was happening on the screen.” Clooney achieves this through an insightful combination of a masterful score, provided by Alexandre Desplat (“The King’s Speech,” composer), and even better cinematography from Phedon Papamichael (“The Pursuit of Happyness,” director of photography). In a political thriller, it is hard to care about the dealings of and double dealings of a world so far removed from that of the audience. But what’s scary to the characters in the Ides of March jumps off the screen and terrifies anybody in the near vicinity. This is the second best movie released this year. It has the full package — great actors in front of the camera and great film makers behind the camera. It’s taut, edgy, and wicked smart, all the way up to the final shot, when Ryan Gosling opens his baby blues to the audience and bares his soul. If you can handle a movie this good, you should.
By Natalie Huebner
- Kip Cone, during Exploring the Bible.
“You are living in Acts*, baby! It’s a good place to be.” *Acts, as in the book of the Bible. -Kip Cone during Exploring the Bible, explaining our place in the Biblical story.
“I just bought a Mac and I am going to make it my slave.” -Dr. Peugh, talking about using technology and not letting it rule us.
“It’s not about what you do, but who you are (in Christ).” - Professor TK (Kurtaneck) while discussing five areas that college age students seek Submit your quotes to soundingboard@grace.edu
Charlotte’s Imaginary Friends
By: Allison Hagedon
By Stephanie Johnston
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