Politics can be frustrating. It can fill you with hope and then deflate and depress you in the span of 6 months. Nothing does this better than an election cycle.

Candidates always promise the world and fail to deliver. Some guys seem like they can change things, but they can’t. Some say they won’t get caught up in the dirty side of politics, and they do.

That’s the main point of Ides of March. It stars Ryan Gosling as an idealistic young staffer in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Eventually, the games and back room dealings take their toll on the young mind and everyone around him.

The problem with Ides of March is that it’s too safe. It’s generic. There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before. There’s nothing exciting or fresh. It’s almost too obvious that director and writer George Clooney wanted this film to serve as a reminder of what an election cycle is.

After all, the Republicans are gearing up for their race for their Presidential nomination and the general election is next year. Although there are no Republicans in this film. It takes place exclusively in the Democratic party.

There is a reason to see this movie though. The star power. Nearly everyone puts in a good performance. Gosling continues his hot streak while Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giammati, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood and Max Minghella put in great performances as well.

The performances make the world feel alive. You’ll feel like these characters have something at stake. There’s an election in the balance, of course! If only the world they lived in wasn’t so safe.

george clooney, ides of march, ryan gosling