Advise and Consent, The Candidate, The Contender, Dave, The American President, The Manchurian Candidate, Nixon, Primary Colours, W, Mr Smith Goes to Washington. There have been many films from various perspectives about the US political machine. And from most, the main message we can take away is the old cliché: 'if you want a friend in Washington (and probably Canberra!), get a dog'. This film is definitely in this camp.

Corruption, cynicism, debauchery, 'immoral behaviour under the cloak of political sainthood' ... The Ides of March is full of all of it. If you ever had any illusions about politics (at any level) then this crash course on dirty campaigning should well and truly make the rose-coloured glasses fall from your eyes.

Covering a US Presidential primary race, the film stars the fantastic Gosling as the bright, idealistic and intensely ambitious new kid to the campaign game. In the beginning honest and just a little naïve but he quickly learns that you don't get to the top of the city on the hill without wading through the mud. Other members of the stellar cast include a brilliant Clooney as the rising star presidential candidate with a secret and Marisa Tomei as a hard-boiled political journalist; but the real stand-outs are Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman as opposing campaign managers: jaded, cynical and completely without principle. A great movie and one to watch for at the Oscars.