Clooney plays the joker and Gosling talks politics

George Clooney answers and laughs though questions about his film The Ides of March.

You could tell it was Friday at the TIFF Lightbox – it was giggles all around.

George Clooney was present to field questions on his new epic The Ides of March – in which he stars and directs, but he couldn’t seem to keep a straight face.

He laughed when he was asked what it was like to direct a film, he guffawed when he was asked what it was like to act in a movie he directed.

People snickered when a reporter asked co-star, Ryan Gosling, A Canadian, if he had ever thought of running politically in Canada (he said no).

But the biggest hoots came after a confusing story about Clooney spraying the crotch of Gosling’s pants with water. Hollywood, go figure.

Anyway, the movie is supposed to be good. It’s a political drama taking place during a US presidential campaign with the usual ingredients of power, intrigue and – most of all – betrayal.

Clooney is Mike Morris, a democratic preseidential candidate with Philip Seymour Hoffman as his campain manager.

But Clooney stressed it wasn’t a movie about politics but more of one about moral choice.

"It’s a fundamental moral tale placed in politics," he said. "It’s a thriller, a political drama."

He said it isn’t wrong to hold up a mirror to a country’s political reality – one that may be filled with cynicism – but that’s not what The Ides of March is about.

Clooney said Gosling, who plays the part of Stephen Meyers – the brains behind Morris’ campaign – is superb along with the rest of the cast.

"Ryan knocked it out of the park." he said. "He’s a tremendous performer."

Clooney said intelligence is a requirement of an actor … but that doesn’t always happen.

-- Paul Irish