The Ides of March Review
Posted by Shawn S. Lealos on 10.07.2011
Should movie audiences beware the Ides of March?
Directed by George Clooney
Written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov based on the play ‘Farragut North’ by Beau Willimon
Cinematography by Phedon Papamichael
Music Composed by Alexandre Desplat
Cast
Ryan Gosling ... Stephen Myers
George Clooney ... Governor Mike Morris
Philip Seymour Hoffman ... Paul Zara
Paul Giamatti ... Tom Duffy
Evan Rachel Wood ... Molly Stearns
Marisa Tomei ... Ida Horowicz
Jeffrey Wright ... Senator Thompson
Max Minghella ... Ben Harpen
Jennifer Ehle ... Cindy Morris
Runtime: 101 min
MPAA: Rated R for pervasive language
The Ides of March is a movie that will polarize most audiences. The hot bed topic of politics has always brought out the worst in critics and this movie doesn’t pull any punches. The George Clooney directed film sits squarely in the democrat’s corner but, upon close inspection, sprays bullets all over the entire political landscape. By the time the final credits roll, neither political party is left unscathed as the movie’s focus is on the idealism involved in politics and how the ends never justify the means.
Ryan Gosling turns in yet another amazing performance as Stephen, a young staff writer who follows his candidate in the political race. Stephen announces proudly that he believes that this time he is working for someone who can finally make a difference in the country. The name of the movie comes from the Latin term for March 15 but is also known as the date that Julius Caesar was murdered and that lends its shadow to the entire proceedings.
George Clooney portrays the governor running for the presidential seat but this is Gosling’s movie. While a lot of critics may decry the film’s political tone and assume that it is based on current developments, thanks in lage part to the Obama-styled campaign posters, it is actually based on the 2008 play that itself was based on the 2004 Democratic campaign by Howard Dean. The movie features Stephen, a young brilliant writer, who does everything to make sure that the man he looks up to will end up in the Oval Office. The Obama reference can easily be explained as the fact that this campaign, as was Obama’s, was based on change.
Clooney is also a sturdy Obama supporter and, in a recent interview, he said he would never want to think of running for office because if someone smart and compassionate is treated as poorly as Obama is, why would anyone want to put themselves in that position. That shows here strongly throughout the movie. At times, the governor mentions that he wants change but, it is clear that everything he says and promises will never happen because the president cannot make change on his own. That is where Stephen’s character begins to lose his step.
Gosling is surrounded by spectacularly talented actors at every step, helping him achieve one of his career highs. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as Paul, the campaign manager for the governor who wants nothing more than to run a clean, structured campaign. Paul Giamatti is the rival campaign manager for the second democratic candidate, who plays dirty when trying to get his man the win. Marisa Tomei is the reporter who pretends to be a friend when she needs a story but holds a knife to drive into your back when the story suits her. Finally, Evan Rachel Wood is an intern on the governor’s campaign who develops a relationship with Stephen.
Mentioning that there is an intern should clue you in on where the presidential race goes dark. I want to emphasize that there are no bad guys in this movie but there are people who are only interested in winning. The only person who comes out of this as a victim to sympathize with at first is Wood’s character. However, by the end of the movie, the shock of what happened finally sinks in. This is a movie to see with friends and discuss when it ends. Stephen starts off idealistic but, as soon as he sees what politics is really about, reality sinks in. At the start, he is smiling and happy but at the end he is stone faced and serious. This is a movie about a man losing his ideals.
The Ides of March can be enjoyed as a movie without bringing your political views into the moment. There are many Republicans who will hate this movie because of what some of the characters say about republican campaigns. However, this is what these characters believe and, if you sugar coat it to make republicans happy, you dilute the movie and it will never seem real. What happens in this movie is what the characters we are asked to follow believe to be real. That is what matters. However, there are too many people who take themselves too seriously and can’t leave their politics at home. Those people need to avoid this movie, because they will be unable to enjoy it.
The 411: The Ides of March is a movie for people who can come into a movie without too many preconceived notions and appreciate the story on its own merits. This tells the story of a man losing his ideals and falling from grace and works perfectly when seen as such. It is a classic Greek tragedy about a man who witnesses the system failing him and loses all faith in society. This is a great start to the Awards season and Gosling proves he is no longer a star on the rise because he is already there.
