Movie Monday: The Ides of March by George Clooney

The Ides of March has been on my radar for a while, and I knew that it was going to be the type of movie that pisses me off because it's about how dirty our politics really are. The toxic culture of our political system is on full display, and the message is not hopeful:
Eventually, even the good guys are corrupted.
George Clooney plays said good guy, a seemingly straight-shooter that isn't willing to compromise on his views just to get some votes. He says, "I'm not an atheist or a Christian...if I'm not religious enough for you, don't vote for me." Clooney and Grant Heslov wrote the screenplay, and the brilliant aspect is how Clooney's character, the presidential hopeful, is built up to be this wonderful guy--good to his wife, no bullshit, not willing to make promises for cabinet seats that would help him get endorsed by other politicians and therefore nearly ensure locking in the presidential nomination. People that have called for Clooney to run for office will be salivating at his performance.
And yet.
You know that he can't be as perfect as he appears, and you would be right. And Ryan Gosling's character, a hopeful campaigner that truly believes that Clooney is different from the rest, ends up covering up Clooney's mistakes. As a result, he too is now tainted, and you can see the shift in his attitude. It's like once he got his hands dirty too, he decides to just roll with it and become dirty like the rest of them.
I hope every politician watches this movie, and it serves as a wake-up call that things have got to change, and until it does, our country will continue to suffer. I hope Clooney continues to write and direct realistic movies like this that call people out for their bad behavior. Bravo.