TEHRAN- “The Ides of March”, a 2011 political drama film by American actor and filmmaker George Clooney, will be reviewed at the Arasbaran Cultural Center in Tehran on Sunday evening. 

Film critic Kurosh Jahed is scheduled to attend a screening of the film followed by a review session.

“The Ides of March” is based on Beau Willimon's 2008 play “Farragut North”. The movie stars Ryan Gosling and Clooney alongside an ensemble cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, and Evan Rachel Wood.

The film premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival and the 27th Haifa International Film Festival, and was later shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. Upon its wide release in 2011, “The Ides of March” received widespread critical acclaim and grossed over $76 million worldwide. The film was chosen as one of the top ten films of 2011 by the National Board of Review, and earned Ryan Gosling a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon were also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The story follows Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), a junior campaign manager for Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney), who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. As Morris's campaign struggles to secure the endorsement of influential Senator Franklin Thompson, Meyers becomes embroiled in a web of deceit and corruption. The stakes are high, as both campaigns vie for control of 356 delegates that would clinch the nomination.

Meyers's world begins to unravel when he receives a cryptic phone call from Tom Duffy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the campaign manager of rival candidate Ted Pullman. Duffy offers Meyers a position in Pullman's campaign, but Meyers refuses. Meanwhile, Meyers starts a romantic affair with Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), an intern whose father is the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

As tensions rise, Meyers discovers that Molly is pregnant with Morris's child and helps her obtain an abortion. However, this secret is soon revealed to the press by an anonymous source, leading to a series of events that threaten to destroy Morris's campaign. In a desperate bid to save his boss's reputation, Meyers makes a Faustian bargain with Duffy, agreeing to help Pullman secure Thompson's endorsement in exchange for his own promotion.

In the climactic final scenes, Meyers confronts Morris and demands that he give up his integrity and offer Thompson the position of Vice President. Morris reluctantly agrees, sacrificing his values for the sake of his political ambitions. As the dust settles, Meyers emerges as a key player in the campaign, but at what cost? The film ends with Meyers sitting down for an interview with CNN's John King, haunted by the ghosts of his own morality.

Throughout the film, Clooney's direction masterfully weaves together themes of politics, power, and corruption, raising important questions about the nature of integrity and dignity in public life. 

George Clooney has had a successful career as an actor, director, and producer in Hollywood. He made his directorial debut with the 2005 film "Good Night, and Good Luck," which was nominated for several Academy Awards. He went on to direct the films "The Good German" in 2006 and "Leatherheads" in 2008, which received mixed reviews.

Clooney's acting career has been marked by a range of successful films, including "Syriana" (2005), "The Descendants" (2011), "Argo" (2012), and "Gravity" (2013). He has been nominated for several Academy Awards and has won several Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

In recent years, Clooney has directed and produced several films, including "The Monuments Men" (2014), "Tomorrowland" (2015), and "The Tender Bar" (2021). He has also appeared in films such as "Money Monster" (2016) and "The Midnight Sky" (2021).

SAB/