Clooney movie filmed in Oxford gets mostly good reviews

Nick Graham/Staff photographer Director George Clooney stands outside The Farmer School of Business during filming of "Ides of March" Tuesday, March 1, 2011 on the Miami University campus in Oxford.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Contributed photo The poster for George Clooney's "The Ides of March, " which was shot partly at Miami University in Oxford.

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By Mandy Gambrell, Staff Writer Updated 4:06 PM Wednesday, August 31, 2011

VENICE, Italy — George Clooney’s “The Ides of March” showed at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday and is among 23 films — five from Hollywood — vying for the coveted Golden Lion, which will be awarded Sept. 10.

The movie was the opener for the 68th edition of the world’s oldest festival. “The Ides of March” is about a young spokesman for a candidate in a presidential primary who learns about dirty politics.

Hollywoodnews.com reviewer Sean Connell wrote the political drama based on Beau Willimon’s play “Farragut North” has solid character actors, which includes Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei and Jeffrey Wright.

David Gritten of the UK Telegraph gave “Ides” four stars out of five and said the movie is “a smart, confident kick start to what looks like being a notably strong Venice film festival.”

A reviewer at The Evening Standard, gave it four out of five, saying the film “has it all.”

Not so positive about the film was Xan Brooks at the Guardian, who said the “handsome, solid campaign thriller paints its primary colors in darkening shades of gray.”

Movie partially filmed here

Clooney directed scenes in Cincinnati and Oxford with several of the movie’s actors, including with Ryan Gosling, Hoffman, Tomei, Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood.

On March 4, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling and Clooney were at Hall Auditorium on Miami University’s Oxford campus to wrap filming the debate scene between Clooney, who plays presidential candidate Mike Morris, and his rival, played by Michael Mantell.

“The production liked the brick buildings and their architecture, which is reminiscent of a classic New England, Ivy league school,” said publicist Tracey Schaefer.

The movie is set to be released in October.

The Associated Press and other wires contributed to this report.

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