Surrounded by a great deal of positive advertising from the media, director George Clooney’s “The Ides of March” succeeds in taking on the characteristics a classic political drama that is worthy of accolades.

“The Ides of March” centers around Stephen (Ryan Gosling), a young political campaign manager who is running Governor Mike Morris’s (George Clooney) presidential campaign. Naive and inexperienced, Stephen fervently believes in the truth and integrity behind Morris’ ideas. However, over the course of the movies, Stephen discovers the depth of corruption behind the political system, including Morris’s own politics and actions, which causes Stephen to change his ways and outlook on politics.

Composed of a star-studded class including Paul Giamatti, Marissa Tomei and Philip Seymour Hoffman in addition to Gosling and Clooney, the acting in the film lives up to expectations and grips the audience. Not only do the actors portray their characters in believable and well-developed ways, but Gosling stands out by showing his versatility as an actor in a leading role in a blockbuster with high expectations.

While the acting helped to develop aspects to plot, the movie earns a great amount of praise for specific details that add to the purpose of each individual scene and incorporate the theme of the secrets behind politics. Through the frequent use of light and dark imagery and the classic, powerful symbol of the American flag, Clooney juxtaposes the idealism and realism in politics.

Though a great deal of vagueness exists in the film, most of it has a purpose. The end of the film proves this point and forces the audience members to make their own judgement about the rights and wrongs of the politics in the movie and leaves them questioning whether their initial evaluation was right. This judgement can transcend to the real-life political dealings, making it meaningful and allowing the film to have an impact on the audience.

The timing of the release of “The Ides of March” adds to the success of the film. During a time when the presidential primaries are in full-swing, “The Ides of March” provides a fictional story that skeptically reveals inner-workings of politicians and the political system. By doing this, the film becomes relevant to the current topics of politics and can even cause the audience to question their own views of the politics in the country.

While the “Ides of March” may be a political drama with the frequently used plot of a naive newcomer entering into politics and learning of the hidden corruption, it is still worthy of praise for the way in which the film was created. The acting, well-thought-out dialogue and gripping imagery created the movie and allows “The Ides of March” to be well-respected and worthy of the great amount of hype that led up to its premier.