Venice is gearing up for its 68th Mostra, scheduled to run from August 31 to September 10 and opening with George Clooney’s “The Ides of March,” in competition. The film, based on the play “Farragut North” by Beau Willimon, is the timely story of a U.S. governor, the democrat Mike Morris, running for president. George Clooney plays the candidate. Along for the ride are Ryan Gosling—whose rosy vision of politics soon turns to gray—Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The world of cinema being both utterly serious and utterly frivolous, the buzz on the Lido is as much about the film as about the recently announced breakup between Clooney and his girlfriend of several years, Elisabetta Canalis. No word on whether the actor will keep his villa on Lake Como.