A juicy political thriller is always welcome, like “The Candidate,” “Wag the Dog,” “All The President’s Men,” “The War Room.” These films give us a peek into those smoke-filled rooms and can inspire outrage, idealism and even calls to action. “The Ides of March” has almost all the ingredients to satisfy this appetite as another political season heats up. It’s entertaining, engrossing and only disappointing when you realize that it has absolutely nothing new to say. George Clooney plays ultra-liberal Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris, as George Clooney: warm, understated, plain spoken, with the perfect answer to every question that was muffed over the last 20-plus years of elections. He’s the anti-Mondale/Dukakis/Kerry of every Democrat’s dreams. (He aces the “if you’re anti-death penalty, what if your wife was murdered” question that Dukakis so famously crashed and burned on.) He’s so pure and idealistic he won’t play politics: he refuses to trade a cabinet post for electoral votes. Still, down in the muck of the real world, the men who run the campaigns are counting votes, reading polls, monitoring blogs and trolling for dirt and scandals. Somehow, media consultant Stephen Myers, played by Ryan Gosling, has risen to the top of the heap without losing his idealism. He’s a true believer and wants Morris to change the world. “The Ides of March,” which takes place over the week leading up to a critical Ohio primary, is the surprisingly un-surprising story of how quickly purity and idealism can get derailed and cynicism can triumph. Myers sleeps with a pretty young intern on the campaign (Evan Rachel Wood), is courted by a campaign manager (Paul Giamatti) for the rival candidate and is accused of disloyalty by his own boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman) — all while dodging the pesky questions of an intrepid New York Times reporter (Marisa Tomei.) Jeffrey Wright plays Senator Thompson, a failed candidate out to get the best deal for himself he can. Yes, that is a cracking good cast. And they are all terrific, snapping off the mostly smart and funny dialogue, filling the frame with moody closeups of their weathered and interesting faces. And there are enough twists and about-faces to keep you guessing for a while. But the moral dilemmas, political checkmates and commentary on the weaknesses of powerful men all have a been-there, done- that quality. So the quandary at the heart of the film leaves a “that’s it?” at the end. Some wonderful cameos back up the A-list cast, particularly Jennifer Ehle as Morris’s wife. She has just one speaking scene with Clooney but brings her usual luminous gravity, making you believe in the intimacy and affection Continued from page 8between these two polished public figures. It’s really Gosling who carries the film and he just gets better and better with every movie he’s in. His handsomeness and charm look a little roughed up, like he’s taken a few punches, and he takes a character who really doesn’t make much sense and renders him believable. It’s a stylish film, well done in every respect, but in the end it feels static, too close to the stage play it’s based on. Go for Clooney (if you’re over 40) or for Gosling (if you’re under 30); go for Wood (if you’re male), who makes the best of a very hackneyed role. The flirtation between the two of them is beautifully done. But don’t go expecting to learn anything new about politics or politicians. Alas, we’ve seen it all before, too many times, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing it again in the next 13 months, played by less winsome and well-spoken actors, perhaps, and the only question will be who falls first. “The Ides of March” is rated R for language. It is playing widely.
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Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
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Fricke and Boehmer are not there to stock their shelves with the same products customers find at standard makeup retailers. They’re there to help customers find what works for them. That usually means asking customers about themselves and learning about their beauty habits, skin, style and the way they like to present themselves. Fricke and Boehmer believe it’s their job to help customers bring out the qualities that suit them and determine what works best for their look.
So much of the Peggy Mercury world is about emboldening people to become more creative, and possibly bolder, versions of themselves. Some of this comes through the store’s creative collaborations with artists, designers and stylists.
It’s part of an ethos that encourages them and their friends to use the shop as a kind of laboratory, trying out new creative experiments without knowing how they might turn out. Whether in fashion, painting, fiber arts or photography, the projects almost always turn out marvelously.
A line of sterling silver charms they sell started as a small project by their friend Nolan Percival. In the beginning, the pieces were for close friends and loved ones. But Boehmer and Fricke encouraged Percival to get a little more serious about the project and create a whole line for the store. Today, it’s one of their top-selling collections.
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
“Imaginary Concerts” has the duo taking their own advice.
The project started as a way for Boehmer to connect with his mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking old concert shirts from his own collection, Boehmer and his mother began cutting out the graphics with the idea that they would make a quilt together. Unfortunately, she died before they could complete the project in 2025. The pieces, which were ready for production, were put on the back burner as Boehmer and Fricke dealt with their loss and the whirlwind of projects that never seemed to cease at Peggy Mercury.
But the harsh winter of 2026 presented an opportunity to take some time and focus on themselves. Part of that meant revisiting and redefining the concert T-shirt project. This time, instead of looking to the warmth and comfort of a quilt, they turned to another passion — fashion.
Taking a page from their own book, they wanted to create something that felt comfortable to them. They took two disparate loves — one rooted in simple preppy style, with clean lines and classic silhouettes, and the other in the nitty gritty worlds of punk rock and pop — and blended them together to create something entirely new. Pulling from the staples of vintage Brooks Brothers and Charvet collections, they applied the graphic elements with bold stitching reminiscent of punk jackets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a much more sophisticated air.
But the remixing isn’t just the pairing of prep and punk. The pieces are not canon. They take liberties with the realities of concert tours, combining one band’s dates with another band’s logos, mixing them all up until the reality is lost and imagination is the only truth.
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
Adding to the mix is an element of perpetual creativity. Art can be messy, both figuratively and literally, and many of Fricke and Boehmer’s artist friends carry evidence of their work on them at all times. As a nod to these tireless creatives, the duo added haphazard splashes of bright color, giving the line an even more distinctive feel.
For them, “Imaginary Concerts” passes the “Peggy Test.” The mythical Peggy Mercury is a fictional figurehead for the company, a character who thrives on creativity and change. The name, much like the clothing line, is a mixture of interests: Mercury is a planet, a deity and an elusive, transformative element, while Peggy is the wonderfully stylish and boundary-pushing Peggy Guggenheim.
Everything Fricke and Boehmer put in their store has to pass this test: Would Peggy Mercury approve? For their first collection, the answer is a resounding yes.
Peggy Mercury is at 9 Maple St., Unit 2, Kent.
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