"The ambitious have no friends."
That line may be considered cliché but, like all clichés, is rooted in truth. In The Ides of March - based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon - the main character, played by Ryan Gosling, starts and ends the film alone. Whatever his situation may be at the end of the movie, he is still isolated from other humans, unable to cross the gulf his ruthless ambition has built.
It's the central motif in a stunning film from George Clooney, which shows the dirty side of American politics and the lengths people will go to fulfill their dreams. While the plot of dishonest politics is so overused as to become cliché, Clooney pulls excellent performances from his cast and uses understatement to drive home some stunning scenes.
George Clooney Directs The Ides of March, Starring Ryan Gosling, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti