By John H. Foote & Anna Belickis
Foote (***)
George Clooney more than proved himself as a major directing talent with his sublime study of fifties television in Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) which earned the likable actor Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Producer and Co-Writer along with a nomination from the Directors Guild of America. The actor has always been so much more than just a movie star, making it clear he wants to do important work, the sort of work he grew up on in the seventies. Citing Alan J. Pakula and Sidney Lumet as strong influences on his career, you can feel the ghosts of the seventies in his best work, either as actor or director. His brilliant work in Michael Clayton (2007) recalled the finest sort of performance in a Lumet film, while his light touch in Up on the Air (2009) until it crashes down on him, was equally reminiscent of Paul Newman’s best work through the decade, or even Jack Nicholson. Clooney has the goods to be a major actor, major director and movie star, and people genuinely like the man. Hell I like him and I have only ever interviewed him! He smiles often, jokes incessantly, and does not take himself all that seriously until he gets serious about his work. Then the man is serious. Read more on The Ides of March (Multiple Reviews)…
Tags: Evan Rachel Wood, George Clooney, Marisa Tomei, Oscar hopeful, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, politics, Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
