You really have to wonder who you are voting for--the presidential candidate, his PR people, inner circle, or a fusion of all of the above. A sick and ever changing composite character.
They don't share too much in common when it comes to politics. In one speech, Clooney tells a crowd: "You don't fight extremism with extremism." Off camera, Gossling says what he really feels, and it's sheer contempt at the idiocy of Clooney's statement.
Two words on this movie: SEE IT!
This movie really makes you think about the character and motives people have for getting involved in politics at any level--candidates, media, PR people, strategists, even innocent interns.
Everything get very convoluted in the media but that is politics in a nutshell. Gossling thinks the intern for the governor running for president, Mike Morris, is 21. She says she is 20. Long story short, Gossling and Molly have an affair. The morning after she gives him a kiss and says, "Not bad for a teenager." Gossling is in a panic. At other points in the movie, he meets with Clooney's opponent's team, and they try to lure him to their side. He refuses, and they use information of the meeting to show discord in Clooney's ranks.
Poor Ryan Gossling! He has virtually become Clooney in the public eye. He writes Clooney's speeches and Clooney revises them so it sounds like they're coming from him. Gossling even stands in for Clooney giving one of his speeches/pitch lines prior to a debate. Gossling speaks while the strategics's rises from what looks like an orchestra pit in an auditorium to finger out the best camera angles etc.
Side Note-I found it slightly amusing considering it was a political thriller, a sneak preview, and no recording devices were allowed. No big deal but everyone was wanded by armed security guards.
Oh man, that final scene! What would Gossling say? If the producers change the ending they'll ruin the entire film.
My sister took me to see this as part I of III parts of my birthday celebration:) Great gift, but on the way home I kept thinking of the conversation between me and my boss during my scary and quite intimidating experience with mid-level politics. The councilman running for assembly who had made several off the record, general conversational anti-Semitic statements. That four o'clock phone call from my boss (who would have most likely become a press secretary for the councilman if he ran) yelling and swearing on the phone that two prominent politicians better not find out.
He kept repeating, "X and Y better not find, out, that's all I'm saying."
Me: "And if they do?"
Him: "They just better not."
Me: "And if they do?"
Him: "You don't know how high this can go."
I just kept repeating "and if they do?"
I didn't say it, but in all honesty, I didn't care how high it went, and if the greatest threat was the loss of an extremely low paying job, who cares? I imagine that when you have lines you won't cross threats are not threats. You just don't compromise. That doesn't take courage at all, but the threat of losing your identity, which IS terrifying. Poor Tevye in Fiddler. He wants his beloved Chava in his life, but regarding her marriage to a non-Jew says, "If I bend this far I'll break." Once the core of your identity is torn about you've lost your heart and soul---and ultimately identity.
I think identity is a major issue from a psychological perspective and also a social psychological perspective.
Now where was I going?
I would have been terrified out of my mind if my bit of information had gone higher than it already it, but...I know we're supposed to qualify everything with bli nader but there must be situations when you can't and shouldn't qualify or nullify things.
One of the first things I learned about journalism is the difference between truth and facts. Journalism, politics should be about facts and only facts. Truth? Maybe the oath people take in court before giving testimony should be changed, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you G-d?"
OR, "Do you swear to give the facts, all of the facts, and nothing but the facts, so help you G-d?"
Given the shady ethics of the current political and judicial today maybe it should be changed to the later.
Sorry to rehash, but that entire affair had a profound effect on me, and this wonderful, wonderful movie brought those memories and thoughts back. The ending of the movie is even more powerful than the beginning. After Clooney and Gossling each try to black mail each other over various things, primarily the suicide of an "innocent" intern, Gossling is offered a key position in Clooney's campaign.
Gossling goes before the camera, about to explain and discuss his new position with the man who would be president. We're left hanging. What would he say? That's the beauty of the movie, you don't know who is who, you can't really identify the people based on loyalty, creed, or anything aside from physical appearance.
Beware the Ides of March...Ides....divide. Who are we really voting for in elections? What are we voting for? G-d help America in 2012!
Side note II: In my limited experience with local politics I have only met one, just one, entirely honorable, honest politician who couldn't tell a lie if his life depended on it. I got to know him well professionally and can honestly say that the only honest politician you can take at face value in Western New York is former Assistant District Attorney now Erie County Court Judge Ken Case.
*Kenneth Forest Case
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