FILM REVIEW: The Ides of March (15)

He delivered a rousing speech to the United Nations’ Security Council, pleading for a resolution to the Darfur conflict, and made a documentary with his father on the subject.

Clooney was subsequently appointed a United Nations messenger of peace and more recently, he organised the celebrity-studded 2010 telethon to raise money for the survivors of the Haiti earthquake.

Behind the camera, his award-winning films have bared teeth at the political establishment, most notably in Good Night, And Good Luck., which charted the fierce war of words between crusading journalist Edward R Murrow and divisive Senator Joseph McCarthy.

The Oscar-winning film-maker takes more pot-shots at Capitol Hill in this expertly paced thriller which begs the question: if politics is such a dirty business, why do the men in expensive suits, who rake the muck, come out smelling of roses and we’re left feeling grubby?

Clooney gradually cranks up the tension as he depicts the Machiavellian plots of the men desperate to breach the upper echelons of power, who will ultimately sacrifice idealism and honour at the twin altars of ambition and greed.

Based on the stage play Farragut North by Beau Willimon, who co-wrote the screenplay with Clooney and Grant Heslov, The Ides Of March hits the campaign trail with high-flying Democrat presidential candidate Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), who has a knack for spouting the perfect sound bite with a winning smile.