Release Date: 10/7/2011
Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) is a political shark. He’s an aggressively charismatic – and very charming – press secretary on the campaign of Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney), a Democratic presidential candidate. Stephen works directly under the tutelage of Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the battle-hardened campaign manager for Morris. On the other side of the coin is Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the maniacal campaign manager for the opposing candidate who bates Stephen into taking a meeting with him. Where Tom not only manipulates Stephen, but makes him question his allegiances to Paul and the Morris campaign. Eventually, Paul finds out about the secret meeting between Stephen and Tom and all hell breaks loose. But when Stephen stumbles upon a dirty little secret lurking to the dark, the Morris campaign is propelled clean off its tracks.
As the film opens, the stage is immediate set with the pace and momentum as if we were a political insider along for the ride. During the presidential debate in the crucial Ohio primary, the two Democratic candidates engage in a rapid-fire exchange, during which the opposing candidate takes a jab at Morris’ stance on religion and with his cool and calculated response of, “My religion is the US Constitution,” we initially get the prevailing thought that Morris’ lead is unquestionably large, if not insurmountable. However, that will all change soon. And of course, it all starts with a woman. Molly Stearn (Evan Rachel Wood), the 20-year-old campaign intern, not only raises the stakes almost instantly, but shifts the film’s tone and intensity entirely as soon as she hits the screen.
Based on the off-Broadway play by Beau Willimon entitled Farragut North, The Ides of March features a number of Shakespearean twists and dirty back-room politics that serve the film very well. Some good ole fashion blackmail that would make Brutus and Cassius feel right at home. In fact, the film’s title that George Clooney and his writing/producing partner Grant Heslov chose eerily alludes to the assassination of Julius Caesar. In which a soothsayer warns, “Beware the ides of March,” prior to Caesar being stabbed to death. But historical references aside, The Ides of March balances the political tight rope perfectly. It explores how politics personally relates to the individual American, but not to the point of taking sides. In the film, when the characters talk about the campaign, they merely reference poll numbers not policy.
Ryan Gosling is going to give the rest of this year’s Best Actor field a run for their money. With two unfaltering, yet polar opposite performances, he is almost certainly a shoe-in for a nomination. Though I personally think it should be for Drive, which will no doubt end up should-to-shoulder with the most iconic Hollywood screen performances ever. But here, Gosling takes the role of smooth operator by the reigns like he was born to play the ruthless idealist.
George Clooney looks and plays the part of presidential candidate really, really well. In fact, he does it so well it’s dangerously realistic. Rattling off arguments against religious bigotry and America’s obsession with oil, Clooney’s suave portrayal of Governor Mike Morris makes me believe he could actually make a go at his own presidential bid. Hell, I’d vote for him. Clooney is overshadowed by his cast in almost every scene except one, and it’s electrifying, bringing back to screen the intense Michael Clayton glare that got Clooney nominated a few years ago. For some odd reason though, it takes place at night in a restaurant kitchen. Evan Rachel Wood adds thick layers of emotional complication to this spinning political yarn and she’s extremely convincing. The arrival of Molly proves that the only currency in politics is loyalty. But as we soon find out dirty deeds are done dirt cheap.
As two opposing political veterans in the weary world of campaigning, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti – which was genius casting – deliver two of the most poignantly human monologues in quite some time. A few noteworthy scenes that stand-out in the film are a direct result of their awesome acting talents; like the interview with Tom when he proclaims he isn’t afraid to, “Get down and dirty with the fucking elephants,” reassuring how politics are really done, or the final exchange between Stephen and Paul outside a church – as if parting ways forever, or the scene in which Stephen confesses to Paul that he met with Tom behind his back. Capping off what will certainly be one the year’s most well-acted films.
As for George Clooney’s direction, he is by far a better director than I feel most give him credit for, despite being previously nominated. Much like his other directorial gigs, namely Good Night, and Good Luck, Clooney takes a back seat role as an actor allowing others to prominently shine. In the former, David Strathairn was the beneficiary as I’m sure Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and Evan Rachel Woods will for Ides. I can easily see this getting several acting nominations.
The cinematography and score are both excellent. Director of Photography Phedon Papamichael (3:10 to Yuma) captures the classy and professionalism of the Capitol Hill political arena and mixes it well with the washed-out greys of Cincinnati. Alexander Desplate (The King’s Speech and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) puts together a brooding and evocative score that culminates into an intense political atmosphere.
What makes The Ides of March so great is that it points the finger of blame not on our political system, electoral process or even the endless line of seemingly crooked politicians we elect – but on ourselves. The film perfectly captures the spirit of our times; the idea of losing our belief in a political figure we believed could actually make a difference in people’s lives. As an audience, we believe in Mike Morris and his fight for ideals, the same way Barack Obama reinvigorated the hope in American leadership. Obama almost single-handedly rejuvenated Americans and our quest for a mutual bipartisan consensus; appropriately in-tune with the current political climate. Perhaps it’s the contemporized references to scandals of past candidates, presidential hopefuls and sitting presidents, but behind its glossy finish, The Ides of March is strangely old-fashioned. Or it simply might be because the film is packed with a sense of idealism which made Good Night, and Good Luck so damn compelling. Either way, Ides pays homage to the great character driven political thrillers of the 1970’s, one of the best eras ever in film; when films like All the President’s Men, Network and The Candidate made big controversial waves.
The Ides of March is a frightening and dirty behind-the-scenes look into politics; topped with all the betrayal, double-dealings, dog-eat-dog, and winner-take-all mentality you would expect from an actual campaign. The characters portrayed in Ides are predominantly Democratic, but even they hardly leave unscathed, and most viewers will be uncertain as to which side of the political fence the film is actually on. But this much is clear, The Ides of March is not just a top-notch film destined to be an awards contender. At this point, it’s hands-down one of the best films of the year so far. And regardless of your political beliefs, whether you’re Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Communist (hopefully not) you will thoroughly enjoy this film. Am I certain? No. Confident? Yes. Because its got everything great filmmaking should have. Its stuffed to the gills with political intrigue, tremendous storytelling and phenomenal acting, and that my friends…is the State of the Union.
I got The Ides of March!
MADE!
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Movie Wiseguys: 9.5/10
