Curses! Passed over again!

Sir Paul made Nancy his bride today, on what would have been John's birthday. Good for him. Long may they love.

You, Sir, are no Bill McKay

Bill McKay is the fictional Senator from California, played by Robert Redford in The Candidate. I wanted The Ides of March to be a reworking of that great Redford film and completely nail our political process.

I had these hopes because, well, Clooney is following in Redford's footsteps. He doesn't comment on his private life, uses his star power to make important movies (Good Night and Good Luck) as well as fun ones (Ocean's 11), and while everything he's in may not be successful, it is dependably high quality. And I admire his devotion to Darfur.

Of course, George Clooney doesn't consult me before he makes a movie, and that may be a good thing, because The Ides of March is a very good thriller. It wasn't the film I wanted, but it's a fun afternoon at the movies.

So many people have their panties in a bunch over George's politics, but this movie (which he cowrote, directed and appears in) is pretty low on the ideology. What's there is thoughtfully cynical, and, I suppose, designed to speak for those of us who are disillusioned with Obama. I'm just not as certain that the system inevitably corrupts good people, and I do hold out hope for heroes, so the national view that Clooney was espousing is one I reject anyway.

But the plot takes a couple pretty neat turns -- one I saw coming a mile away, which added to the tension, and one that came completely out of left field. So it was a movie I enjoyed.

Redford may be the more seasoned, thoughtful filmmaker. But there's something to be said for a movie that makes you catch you breath while you're sitting there in the dark. So for that, I thank you, George.

PS As in Good Night and Good Luck, Clooney hasn't given himself a very big part. This movie really belongs to Ryan Gosling. And he does a fine job with it. Poor Evan Rachel Wood, though. So far this year I've seen her Veda in Mildred Pierce, Mary Surratt's daughter in The Conspirator (there's Redford again) and now this. I hope that someday soon someone lets her play a singing governess or something a bit more sunny.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Questions Galore Meme, Part 1

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Is there someone in your life you know you’d be better off without? Well, right now all my neighbors annoy me. But I suspect that unless I lived alone atop a lighthouse, I'd have this same complaint.

2. Do you get criticized because of your body? Not to my face.

3. Did you kiss the last person you called? Yes. It was my Mom.

4. When was the last time you danced? I don't remember. Isn't that sad?

5. Do you keep in mind other people’s feelings? I try to.

6. If you have a hang nail, do you pull it or clip it? Yes. I also gnaw and twist it. It's a brutal business, being one of my hands.

7. Who do you want to forget? One of my exes. The less said about him, the better.

8. Who was the last person to send you a letter? My cousin Rose.

9. Who did you last tell to shut up? My mom. I know, I know, shame on me. But I was grumpy.

10. What’s the last thing that you smelt that smelt bad? The litter box.

11. What’s your favorite cereal? It changes. Currently, it's Rice Krispies.

12. How do you feel when people lead you on, but they don’t even like you? I'm hurt, of course. I mean, is anyone a fan of this situation?

13. Could you live without sunlight? Not happily.

14. What’s something you know is bad, but you want to do it anyway? I think of him more as a "who" than a "what."

15. What was the last thing you lied about? I never lie.

16. Do you regret anything you’ve done in the past week? Nothing springs to mind.

17. What was the last movie you bought? Scoop, starring Hugh Jackman. It was $5. Haven't watched it yet.

18. What is a sport you would like to do? Pilates.

19. When was the last time you felt like crying? When I think about how slowly I'm healing post-op. It's been a month! I'm supposed to go back to work on 10/17! I'm not sure I can do it.

20. Have you ever wanted to kill someone (not that you actually do it)? No.