fwarleader

25 May 2012

Political trash and half baked propaganda

Nonsense political garbage. Don't bother the acting isn't even good 2dcharacters.I don't need to write a great deal about it because it isn't worth it.I mean Clooney liberal loon is enough to know what is going to happen.Of course he isn't a "bad guy" ridiculous.Typical stereotyping, even down to the "Arkansas" Gov. With sex andinterns thrown in too. As if the last Arkansas Gov turned President hadany honor.Acting was weak, plot sucked and by mid movie it was an emotionalHollywood fantasy "human character" hack job. The movie just fallsapart totally. I suppose if you are a Democrat drone you may enjoy thelies and propaganda that Clooney spouts off about same old tirednonsense. However didn't expect more glad I got it at redbox for adollar.

saschakrieger

24 May 2012

A chilling and uncompromising political thriller

A young man goes up to a microphone and starts speaking, hardlyaudible. Standard political phrases disintegrating into meaningless blabla and ending in non-verbal noises. There is a certain playfulness tothis, a lack of seriousness. It is, after all, a rehearsal only. Twohours later the same man will be on another stage, sitting upright,staring stone- faced into a camera.There is nothing playful anymore.Between these two scenes lies a story of disillusionment, a study inthe changes circumstances can bring about in a person, a study in thedeformation of character power is known to cause. The Ides of March isan uncompromising, bleak and chilling portrait of the serious businesspolitics have become, of its perpetrators, its victims, of how tosurvive and at what cost.Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is 30 and he is near the top of hisbusiness. As the number 2 man and media expert in Governor Mike Morris'(George Clooney) presidential campaign, he is as close to real power ashe can be. Unlike Morris' campaign chief (Philip Seymour Hoffman),Stephen cares for more than winning. He is a believer, he trulybelieves in Morris. When approached by the manager of the opponent'scampaign, he shrugs it off. He can only work for something he believesin. This is the first part of the film in which everything seems to beexactly as it appears. Clooney plays the governor as a believable manwho honestly pursues what he believes in. Given the chance to buy aformer opponent's endorsement and with it the nomination, he refuses.There are plots and schemes, but everyone is on the right side.Or are they? Halfway through the film there is a turning point. Itstarts as a small yet dirty secret which can be brushed away just likethat. But it cannot. It shatters the very foundation on which the houseof cards was built. Stephen finds himself in the middle of a tornado oflies and schemes and chooses to play. And so the boyish enthusiastwhose professionalism never stifles his idealistic belief in fightingwhat is good turns into a master schemer which an impenetrable face.Yet on the outside nothing changes: Morris is still the charmingcandidate he was, everything is business as usual. But the same thingthat just seemed honest and genuine now appears hollow andhypocritical. Clooney, the director, masterfully creates the sense of afundamental seachange even though nothing really changes. A lot of thisis due to actor Clooney who excels in absence: even when he's on screenhe's never really there. Morris is an idea, a projection which can meananything. And as circumstances change, the image changes to. He is thefigure in the dark, in shadowy corner as in the film's key scene. He iswhatever people want him to be. And he will be Stephen's role model.The view of politics presented in this film is relentlessly bleak.There is no innocence or rather it is crushed – literally or, as inStephen's case, lured to the dark side. Politics is portrayed as aruthless power struggle in which you can only succeed if you're moreruthless than the others. Some plot twists are too sensational, theoverall picture might have deserved a little grey between the black andthe white and the last 20 minutes feel rushed.But in the end this is a gripping and chilling political thriller whichis strong on turning hardly detectable nuances into gamechangers.Suddenly the atmosphere is turned upside down, heaven becomes hell andwe are left to wonder how it all happened. And in the middle is RyanGosling in a performance that encases all the film's essence in onebody, one face. There was a time when George Clooney was just a prettyface. Those days are long gone.

20 May 2012

Save Yourself The Embarrassment and Your Money From This Nightmare

I couldn't believe this movie was this bad; but it was. First of allthe sound in the movie sucked; and the numerous use of the F### wordreally made this more of a train wreck. I watched this last night onDVD; and think GOD I didn't see it at the theater or I would ask for mymoney back. Usually I believe political drama's make good movies, butthis had no plot, the ending was STUPID, and I expected more fromGeorge Clooney. In the beginning of the movie it started very slow. Ithought after 15 minutes it would pick up; and begin to have more of astoryline, I was so wrong. It was so boring my mom took a nap luckyher. I continued to watch this wreck; and around 55 minutes into thestory , the viewer gets some action. We get to experience what personGov. Morris is; and what he did while trying to win the Presidentacy.We get 15 to 20 minutes of excitement and then the movie flat-linesagain for good. It's been awhile since I saw a movie this poor; theonly plus about it was it was filmed in Ohio, my home state.For anyonewho likes political movies try Absolute Power, In The Line of Fire, TheAmerican President, or JFK to name a few. These are good movies; andyou will not be wasting one hour and forty-one minutes on pure trash.Kris L. CocKayne :)

afire23

20 May 2012

Stellar directing, excellent acting and a well crafted script makes this political thriller a must see film.

Philip Seymour Hoffman delivered an outstanding performance! EvanRachel Woods delivered the right mix of sexuality and innocence whichmade her character likable and yet an object of pity. George Clooneyproved once again that he has what it takes to become an A listDirector and the acting skills to stay on the A list. Real emotionalmoments leaped from the screen drawing the viewers deeper into theplot. Scenarios from this political drama could have easily played outin the corporate world where a thirst for power often leaves loyaltyand morality in a dry barren often forgotten place. Realism was theforce of the day in this modern day drama. A sound script, an excellentcast, as well as all around excellent performances will probably leadto Golden Globes and Oscars nominations. Angelina Stevens gives thismust see little political thriller 2 Bravos!!

paudie

19 May 2012

Slow burning thriller but a great last 45 minutes

"The Ides of March" didn't grab me for the first hour or so. We allwatch the news enough to realise that US politics is a sleazy businessso it felt that we were seeing nothing new.However a fast paced last 45 minutes more than make up for this.Ryan Gosling plays Stephen Myers, the media savvy deputy campaignmanager for Governor Mike Morris, played by George Clooney. They are inthe run up to the crucial Ohio Democratic Party presidential primary.The race is neck and neck and whoever wins Ohio will be in a greatposition to take the White House.Myers, though battle hardened genuinely believes that his candidate canwill a real difference if elected. This came across as a bit naïve tome, but I suppose George can persuade you he can do anything! Twoactions set in motion the crisis that will envelope the maincharacters. First Myers, again rather naively in my opinion, secretlymeets the rival campaign manager. He also starts an affair with a youngcampaign intern.It is when the consequences of these events become clear that the moviereally gets going. The ending is filled with tension though you areleft with the inevitable conclusion that politics is a very dirtybusiness and you have to look out for number one.Clooney directs and co-writes as well as acting and he does a fine job.The film lasts less than two hours but packs in a lot of characters anda fairly complicated plot.The cast is excellent. As well as Gosling and Clooney Philip SeymourHoffman , Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood put in great performances.

Danny Blankenship

19 May 2012

Clever and high tense political drama thats full of ego, intrigue, secrets, and behind the door backstabbing.

"The Ides of March" is clearly one film that can be described aslooking at the underworld of politics and it's dirty games of lies,secrets, and under the table and behind the door deals. As if like mostyou follow the political world and pay close attention you know thatsadly that's what the political game contains you can trust no one it'sa cold business of every dog for themselves. And the man Mr. everythingGeorge Clooney who goes rounds as both director and key star shows withthis film that the political world can be exciting, entertaining alwayshaving high drama present and it proves secrets can be deadly, as thefilm can be seen as a need for good loyal and moral calling. And thecast is top notch with all pro talent especially the work of Goslingand Giamatti stands out.The film is set during the presidential primary season in Ohio abattleground state for the Democratic nomination, and leading the wayis Pennsylvania governor Mike Morris(George Clooney)a big idealsliberal who wants to change the face of America. Along the way he'sguided along by veteran campaign manager the loyal and tough PaulZara(Philip Seymour Hoffman), yet underneath it all is the new shiningstar of the team that's new aide and press secretary the young andcocky pretty boy Stephen Myers(in Ryan Gosling's best role)and Stephenis ready to take over the world in many ways. It's then after thesecentral players are introduced this film takes a deep journey into theworld of political intrigue and office backstabbing, and this is mostevident when Myers has a behind the scenes meeting with a rivaldemocratic campaign manager for another candidate during this meetingthe clever and brilliant Tom Duffy(Paul Giamatti)knows how to work aplan that will lead to a cat and mouse game of second guessing andbetrayal.Only this film has a good subplot in a twist that complicates mattersmore a young sexy intern on the Morris staff named Molly Stearns(EvanRachel Wood)has eyes for young pretty boy Stephen and after the passionof one stands play out a deadly hidden secret is revealed that coulddestroy all in the Morris camp. However in the dirty political worldone has to twist things with promises and undercover blackmail as anendorsement from a democratic senator Thompson(Jeffrey Wright)surepatches the wounds up for this political campaign. Really it's toughfor New York Times reporter Ida(Marisa Tomei)to get a straight storywith all of the twist and turns that these political waters take.Really this is a detailed film that shows just what the political worldis about it boils down to favors and backstabbing deals that have toovershadow the scandal and shortcomings that is all to common tocandidates and political staffs. It sure showcases what I already knewalong with others that the political world is a dirty game a cutthroatbusiness every man for himself. And Clooney did a fine job showing howit works as his film was spiced with tension, suspense, drama andintrigue and some secret subplots. In the end this film had me thinkingabout morals, seeking the truth and wanting more loyalty as one canstill seek hope even in a dirty business like politics.

17 May 2012

Intense thriller without the usual baggage

Imagine a thriller category movie without a car chase, guns, bombs,plots to destroy the world. Difficult isn't it? and yet that is what wehave in The Ides of March a thriller that is tight, intelligent andrewarding. It exceeded my expectations even though my experience withGeorge Clooney films has given me high expectations.The plot twists and turns like a New Zealand country road. Just whenyou think you know what is to happen, something else happens and yetall of the twists ring true. Some are red herrings. We suspect peopleof having agendas when they do not, we discover agendas where none weresuspected.In the end we are totally blown away, but even that makes perfectsense.The writing is superb but the cast totally delivers without a falsenote.Just watch, and experience. You will not see politics as usual again.In a word, Brilliant.

Sally Warner

16 May 2012

Very Good and Very Gripping

My movie buddy and I spent quite some time after watching this talkingabout what Stephen would do at the press conference. This is a goodsign of an interesting movie and we see a lot of them.The things that were so great were Ryan Gosling who I adore anywayportrays a young guy running into his emotions for what I think isprobably the first time. Excellent stuff.The whole thing is just what I would imagine life on the campaign trailwould be like - a series of moments that just have to be dealt with inone way or another.A great movie, one I would watch again. Well done Ryan for having sucha huge range of talent I thought you were awesome.

akash_sebastian

14 May 2012

Average Political Drama! ... could have been much better!

An interesting political drama! (not thriller!)... Good enough, but notGreat.It deals with people and politics, and there are no heroes in the thestory. - That's what I liked about it; it deals with real people. Theamazingly talented bunch of actors - Gosling (what a year!), Clooney,Hoffman, Giamatti, Tomei and Wood - do their job very well and fit intothe shoes quite easily. The story is good, but it could have challengedthe viewers a little more and the characters could have had moredepth...Clooney's direction is admirable.

vitaleralphlouis

14 May 2012

George Clooneys Valentine to Republicans!

We decided to see this movie for sure after reading the stronglynegative review in The Washington Post, the unofficial messenger of theFar Left. Perhaps if they were motivated to discredit the film withtheir manipulative and dishonest review, there's gotta be somethinghere to pay attention to.George Clooney plays a stereotype Liberal Democrat candidate: filledwith empty and deceptive slogans, and cheap-shot distortions of hisopposition; both Republican and Democrat. Every single person in thefilm, except perhaps the reporter played by Marisa Tomei, is aDemocrat. And every person in the movie (including Marisa) is a viperor a snake --- engaged in backstabbing (thus the title), treachery,lies, distortions, extortion, manipulations, AND the seduction ofunderage female interns. These are people you would not have lunchwith, let alone want as national leaders.Even though Republicans are shamelessly lied about in Clooney's film,they are infinitely better (in their total absence) than the corruptDemocrats the film highlights.This is a compelling drama, by 2011's lame movie standards; but I'vecut my rating from 7 to 5 because I do not like being offended. No, notthe politics; any screenplay which seeks to promote the phrase "Jesusf..king Christ" ought to send the writer to the woodshed.

clarissa saunders

11 May 2012

Wheres the Plot?

It's hard to believe a movie with George Clooney and Ryan Gosling et alcould be a flop, but Ides of March manages to pull off this unexpectedfeat. I was anticipating--and hoping for--an intelligent, engrossingstory. Instead I got an utterly boring movie about nothing. What wasthe point?! What was the climax? Yes, it's well-acted. Yes, some scenesare incredibly well-done and full of emotion. But I repeat--where isthe story? In place of a plot, we get nonsensical, unrealistic choicesmade by characters with whom we develop no connection. For example whydoes a well-known, well-paid political consultant need to steal $900from the campaign's petty cash? On a bad day he probably has that muchin his wallet!Michael Clayton, Titanic, Gladiator, After the Wedding, and Win Win areall my idea of good flicks. If you have similar taste, then perhapsyou'll take my advice and avoid spending your hard-earned money on thisattractive but empty offering. Beware the Ides of March.

nep983

11 May 2012

Quite Surprised

When I first heard about this film I didn't want to see it because I'mnot a fan of George Clooney really and saw that he was writingdirecting and producing it. Some actors like Tyler Perry make not sogreat movies. But Clooney is no Tyler Perry and manages to direct,write produce and star in his own film. Basically it's a politicalmovie or whatever you want to call it. That all I'm saying. The cast isimpressive Ryan Gosling is perfect as the lead role too bad he didn'tget any Oscar noms for this. Other cast members such as Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, MarisaTomei, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jennifer Ehle. She has very littlescreen time sadly along with Jeffrey Wright.This film is definitely worth checking out on DVD 7/10

thinker1691

05 May 2012

Make another mistake like that and Ill bury you! . . . . Friends?

George Clooney has a remarkable talent. It isn't that he's a greatactor. It isn't that he's a good writer or producer. It's the fact heknows how to do all that and still be a great director. In this filmcalled " The Ides of March ' he plays Governor Mike Morris, a promisingpresidential candidate who's faltering campaign is in trouble and needsthe support of Senator Thompson (Jeffery Wright). Luckily for him hehas Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) an idealistic and likable, but clumsycampaign aid who is targeted as easy prey by his opponents. Hisimmediate supervisor is hard nose Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman)who discovers that Stephen has fallen for a simple badger game set upby his counterpart who seeks to remove him. In addition, Stephen alsobecomes romantically involved with Molly Sterns (Rachel Woods) a prettycampaign intern who has an embarrassing secret and Ida Horowicz (marisaTomei) a pesky Newspaper reporter. Together, the cast makes for anintriguing ensemble who easily mirror today's political climate. It isnot difficult to enjoy this movie. If you like movies with GeorgeClooney, this is one you should not miss. Indeed, if you like politicalbackstabbing, lies, betrayal and intrigue, I highly recommend thisfilm. ****

Neil Welch

05 May 2012

Glum take of unpleasant people

The Ides Of March, directed and co-written by George Clooney, takes itstitle from the day on which Julius Caesar was betrayed by the Senatorshe trusted. Which is not to say that this is exactly an updating ofJulius Caesar. The political betrayal is elsewhere in this drama aboutthe machinations behind the campaign of US Presidential candidate MikeMiller (Clooney in a relatively small part). This film centres onMiller's media consultant Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) and hisinteractions with Miller's campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip SeymourHoffman), Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) who is the campaign manager ofMiller's opponent, Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) who is an internwith the Miller campaign, and Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei), a politicaljournalist.The opening is rather hard work for those of us who are not thatfamiliar with the mechanics of US politics but, as the roles of theindividuals become clear, and the plot develops, the human story takesover from the political one. It is quite interesting, albeit ratherglum, given that it involves the power struggles and other activitiesgoing on between a number of people, none of whom is very pleasant.All the cast are very good, but Clooney is outstanding. Gosling, not anactor who has impressed me so far, is given a part here which suits hisimpassive screen persona, and he gives glimpses of emotion. Perhapsthat is his gift, to project a lack of emotion and then to open thewindow slightly every now and then. I'm not convinced yet, though.It is no doubt a very worthy movie, and will probably do well come theawards season, but I can't say that I enjoyed it very much.

napierslogs

01 May 2012

The games people play to get ahead, not necessarily in politics, but within themselves

George Clooney is running for President. Well, I mean, in "The Ides ofMarch," as Governor Mike Morris, he's running for the DemocraticPresidential nomination. He's the good guy and his opponent is the badguy. Because that's how it is supposed to be, right? The opponent'scampaign manager is played by the ever-shady Paul Giamatti, whileMorris' campaign is championed by the young, handsome idealisticStephen (Ryan Gosling).This is about politics, the games people play to get ahead, and thetypes of people who get played—that's the interesting part. Therefreshing part, is that this isn't about election night and who isgoing to win and who is going to lose. A few poll numbers are rattledoff, but it's mostly about what is going to happen to our heroes (oranti-heroes) and what are they going to do in response. When you looklike Clooney and Gosling, it's hard not to be the hero, but remember,this is politics and nobody is really a hero in that mess.People make mistakes. I enjoyed following Stephen as he struggledinternally with his path forward. He believes in the good of theGovernor. He's smart and passionate and makes a good campaign manager.His mistakes seem minor and understandable. The problem is, he's 30.He's at the in-between age, where he's halfyoung-college-student-ready-to-take-over-the-world and halfexperienced-cynic. Those are two very combative halves and when theycome at odds within him, the character takes some shocking and drasticturns.The few references to actual political gaffes are obvious and just donefor comic relief. All the clever lines are stolen by Giamatti, who, Iam predicting, will come away with the only acting nomination for thefilm. Although, the brilliant character work – that's done byeverybody, and is what makes "The Ides of March" so intriguing.

iamover

30 April 2012

Great acting - mediocre plot

This was a bit of a letdown. Some of my favorite actors were in this -and they did do a fine job - however, the plot was somewhatuninspiring, the twists (and I'm being generous by using the wordtwist) were only minimally surprising. One of the actors (Marisa Tomei)really was in a "nothing" role - a waste of her talents.So... If you want to see a movie with fine acting and want to focus onthe actors without being distracted by getting caught up in anenjoyable movie, this is the one for you! Most of the time, afterwatching a good movie, one likes to spend time discussing the plottwists, hidden meanings, etc. - But I'm pretty sure that won't be thecase for this one. You'll want to spend more time critiquing thepopcorn than this lukewarm effort.

kosmasp

27 April 2012

What better time to write a review about this movie then ... now?

Aother Gosling movie, another really good movie coming your way too.While many may have expected Clooney to go deeper than he actually didwith this (comparisons to West Wing are inevitable), he did a good jobcreating a thriller surrounding political (and general) ambitions. Andwhile not completely flawless the movie has a good story backed up bygreat actors.While Gosling is almost in every scene he gets supported by a lot ofcharacters. You might not agree with his portrayal at the beginning ormay not be able to think his journey feels real, but I think he doesconvey that feeling. Other than that, the political aspect may be alittle too thin for most people, but as thrillers go this is more thanwatchable.

Sandy Landin

27 April 2012

Depressing leftist propaganda

I had hoped I would never have to think of this movie ever again, but Ifeel compelled to warn other unsuspecting movie goers. I was duped bythe wonderful reviews and a preview that looked like, finally, I wasgoing to see a movie with an actual conflict and a character whostruggles with what is the right thing to do. I wasted my time andmoney on this leftist propaganda. What we actually have here are characters without a moral compass. Andwriters who assume (wrongly) that we all want the same thingspolitically. They think the end justifies the means and they throw in afew digs as if to say "everyone is doing it so why not us?". It's sodepressing. Those involved with the making of this movie tried to leaveus with the message that all human beings are basically pond scum. Idon't share that view, but I suspect those involved were beingintrospective.

mm-39

27 April 2012

cruel world of politics

This movie displays the cruel world of politics. One sees in the moviethe leverage plays, dirty tricks, and dishonesty of the political game.The loyal good guy is destroyed by the ruthless player. Politicianscompromise their values and sell out in the end. I believe this moviehas some merit in being true. I found the movie too dark for my tastes.However, I like how the movie shows politicians and the politicalmachine as liars. The whole screen play is set up when one of the rivalpoliticians pulls a dirty trap on the other party organizers. I likethe line Hoffman says I'd rather take a less talented man who is loyalover a talented man. Trust is a valued commodity. I believe that is agood message, which the movie shows will not seem to fit in withpolitics. I give the movie a six out of ten. Too dark of a movie.

The_Film_Cricket

27 April 2012

Well-acted but not exactly new . . .

George Clooney's The Ides of March is a well-made, beautifully actedand very entertaining political drama that presents cold, heartbreakingfacts about the American political campaign that probably seemed new inabout 1960. Is it surprising anymore after the Monica Lewinsky scandalthat a political candidate would sleep with his interns? Is issurprising anymore that a candidate would be two-faced, saying onething on-camera and something else off-camera? It is surprising anymorethat those working on the campaign would be willing to bury theircolleagues to get ahead? Is it surprising that the outcome of ourelections are so carefully choreographed and telegraphed that the votescast by the electorate are more or less an afterthought? Don't get mewrong, this doesn't make The Ides of March a bad movie, it just doesn'tmake it a surprising one. The strength of the movie doesn't lie in thestory it tells but in the actors who tell it.Based on the 2008 play "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon - which wasloosely based on the 2004 Presidential campaign of Vermont GovernorHoward Dean -The Ides of March centers on Steven Meyers (Ryan Gosling)30 year-old press secretary for Democratic Governor Mike Morris (GeorgeClooney), a idealistic Democrat who is gearing up to win the Ohioprimary in a bid to win the Presidency. Steven believes in Morris whois a crafty politician, good-looking, charming, intelligent andconfidently making the promise to his voters that there will be nocombustible engines on the road in ten years. Uh-huh.I don't recall a candidate who speaks as well or looks as quietlyconfident as Mike Morris, I guess I would have to go back to Kennedy.At any rate, Steven believes in the Governor. He too is an idealist. Wecan see that he is old enough to know better but there is a feelingthat he still wants to believe in his candidate. Around him are cynicsmost especially Morris' campaign manager Paul Zara (PhilipSeymour-Hoffman), a hard-nosed realist who has been working on politicsso long that he seems to have developed ice-water in his veins. Meyerhates Zara partly because of his ethics and partly because he can seethe reality of this political life that will soon envelope him as well.Also on hand is a crafty journalist named Ida (Marisa Tomei) whogathers information from Steven and seems like a friend but when thechips are down reveals herself to be looking out for number one.Meyer finds solace from the cynicism in the person of a 20 year-old,naive young intern named Molly (Evan Rachel-Wood) who is smart andopen-minded and finds herself jumping into Steven's bed. Thisrelationship doesn't fall into romance but a kinship that collapsesunder the revelation of her past involvement with the Governor. Thisrevelation sets the drama in motion and the second-half of The Ides ofMarch deals mostly with the breakdown of Steven's soul into therevelation of those who are trying to destroy him for their ownpersonal interest. Even though we can mostly guess where the movie isgoing, it is interesting watching the personal and professional chessmatch as Steven uncovers a web of personal vendettas and mercilessbackstabbing.The story is well-told but it is the acting that makes the movie work.Ryan Gosling proves again and again that he is one of the best actorsof his generation. He has a quiet confidence, but also a face thatsometimes brims with uncertainty. He expresses a lot just by sittingstill and thinking. In that way, he reminds me a little of Paul Newman.Evan Rachel-Wood is good too as a young woman who is too young and toonaive to be playing in the big leagues just yet. Paul Giamatti, one ofmy favorite modern actors, has a wonderful role as the campaign managerfor the other side. He has a great scene toward the end of the filmwhen he reveals his true nature that is played to perfection.The problem is that the story isn't exactly surprising. As I said, theinside scoop on what goes on behind-the-scenes in American politics iswell-know and has been told before in much more focused pictures likeMike Nichols great Primary Colors. That film dealt with themachinations within the campaigns just as the Ides of March does, butthe earlier film does it in a fresh way. This one seems more like athriller. Even with the limitations aside, I was glad I saw The Ides ofMarch. George Clooney has now directed four films and what I can see isthat he has confidence in his material. Here he makes a small film,very spare that lets the actors do all the work, and that's just rightbecause they are the ones who make it work. I just wish he could havefound a way to make it more contemporary and tell us something that wedon't already know.