The Writer's Life 5/10

I caught up to The Ides of March (2011), courtesy of Netflix. It is well worthwhile. George Clooney wore many hats during its production: Producer, Director, Co-Writer and Co-star. He does his usual smooth work, perfectly cast as an ultra-liberal Democrat vying for presidential nomination. The character expresses the views Clooney has so often in interviews, more honestly than President Obama does. After all, there are no consequences to what an actor on script says beyond the parameters of the movie. Ryan Gosling stars as a dedicated campaign worker immersed in the filthy, back-stabbing, cold world of politics. It conforms to my opinion of the people in the field, either side of the aisle, although I believe the right does less damage to us than the left. These liberals are not portrayed in a flattering light, and that honesty is commendable. The supporting cast is first-rate. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood bring their abundant talents to the work, which was adapted from the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon. It is intelligent and thought-provoking. My only misgiving is the climactic incident that brings the story to an ugly head. It seems inconsistent with the character's behavior earlier in the film. Of course, none of us is completely consistent, especially after experiencing what the character in question did. Still, that aspect did not work for me, although an alternative is proposed as a possibility for the behavior. Excuse me while I dance around any chance of spoiling the film. On a scale of five, I rate The Ides of March three-and-a-half. The folks at IMDb rate it 7.3.

And in the real world of politics, there was an incredible, embarrassing turn of events in West Virginia's Democratic primary. A federal convict paid to get his name on the ballot and drew 41% of the vote vs. the President's 57%. I don't know if it means anything in the overall race for the White House. After all, Obama has vowed to put an end to coal-mining, which provides the livelihood of many West Virginians. He must have angered many coal miners' daughters. Republicans, of course, are gloating. Democrats and their media acolytes are pretending it doesn't matter.

The rain stopped but the wind picked up. More than once I had to track down some pamphlets and paperbacks that blew away. I thank the kind folks who bought, and those who donated. I have quite a Russian library.

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