The Ides of March – Review

The Ides of March – A-

Tightly paced, well-written, well-directed, and well-performed, The Ides of March succeeds in a genre in which films often digresses into gunslinging and assassination plots.

Fortunately (?), the title is more of a metaphor

The events of the film play out over the Ohio primary election in for a Democratic presidential nominee. George Clooney, director and player of candidate Governor Mike Morris and co-writer of the screenplay (sweet gig, huh?), is no stranger to the political realm. While he has not held public office, his prominent position in the entertainment industry means that his voice holds power, and his particular brand of liberalism (see a 2006 interview with the illustrious Larry King) finds its way into what Mike Morris believes in and what he represents as a potential presidential candidate. Every time Morris takes the stage and delivers a speech on War on Terror strategy, limiting US dependency on foreign oil, and broadening the spectrum of Civil Rights, the viewer can’t help but feel that this is what a Clooney Campaign would feel like…

Inception

In reference to the word “protagonists,” in a political drama thriller such as The Ides of March, there really aren’t any “good guys.” More like anti-heroes. Or power-hungry politicos. Or just hungry campaign runners. Really though, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti look like they put on 50 pounds for their respective roles as opposing senior campaign managers Paul Zara and Tom Duffy. For Mr. Hoffman, it always works, because he is just so damn adorable.

Surprise! I'm in every gorram movie!

For the excellent Giamatti, I think he only spends about one and a half scenes actually standing for extended periods of time. But hey, it works; soft-bellied, ornery, middle-aged white guys are exactly the sort of people we imagine running these campaigns, a.k.a conspiratorial-back-dealing-political-machines. And Hoffman and Giamatti are brilliant as always, capturing the “jaded and cynical” personas of Zara and Duffy with appropriate levels of grit, grime, and sass.

Full Disclosure: I’m not a fan of new, golden boy, super-ripped Ryan Gosling. As you may recall from our Moneyball review, Remember the Titans holds a very special place in Deuce Cooper’s heart. That’s the Ryan Gosling I know and love–scrawny, wavy blonde hair, singing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” in a locker room filled with half-naked men. Sea Bass loved his performance in Drive, however, and I think Mr. Gosling may have pulled out another one for the WIN column. Though Clooney shows off his charisma and Hoffman & Giamatti (also, coincidentally, the name of my local personal injury attorneys) bring their A-game, it is Gosling’s performance as rising campaign manager Stevie Myers that carries the film. From the beginning shots of Stevie Myers walking out of darkness onto the stage to the final shots of Stevie Myers walking out of darkness onto the stage/gymnasium-floor-that-is-acting-as-a-stage-so-that-the-imagery-can-be-complete, the character arc that Gosling endures takes him through an emotional wringer of deceit, betrayal, and sex. No explosions, though–go see Drive for Gosling action. See Ides for Gosling acting.

And deceit, betrayal, and sex is what Ides of March is about. Deceit and betrayal in the sense that this is a political thriller. Sex in the sense that this is a political thriller not about politics, per se, but rather about pimping out candidates and how the democratic process works behind the scenes. There’s actually also some sex in the movie, but I like the idea of using it as a metonymic lead-in to what Zara, Myers, and Duffy do as campaign managers. The way they spin numbers and sound-bites, navigate and manage media, and make back-room deals with politicos and pundits in order to win. They manipulate. That’s what this film is about; politics isn’t about policy or beliefs or integrity anymore–it’s about poll numbers, who you’ve got in your back pocket, and how good you are on the stick. Ides spends more time in the back-room, listening to Myers and Zara try to convince Morris to give up his “drawing the line” liberalism and curry favor with an influential senator for the sake of earning some necessary delegate votes and political clout. That’s where the drama (and tragedy) of the film lies; in the exposure of a hollowed out, backwards political system and the corruption of all involved.

The cast is rounded out ably by Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Jennifer Ehle, Jeffrey Wright, and Gregory Itzin. All fill their roles perfectly, and I couldn’t help but smile seeing Itzin in the film as DNC chairman Jack Stearns after playing anti-hero President Charles Logan on 24.

"Agent Bauer, I'm telling you; nothing bad will happen today. Just imagine if you had gone with Clooney! That guy's all trouble!"

Clooney does an excellent job directing the film. There is this pseudo-noir feel to the whole thing, reminiscent of his work on The Good German, as the film slowly shifts into a shadowy, high-tension mood, accented by Alexandre Desplat’s suspenseful score. Desplat’s other work includes The Painted Veil, The King’s Speech, and HP7:p1&2, and he may have another winner on his hands here. I totally rocked out to the underscore music during the credits. Win for Desplat. The film itself is based on the play, Farragut North, written by Beau Willimon, which opened in 2008 to rave reviews. Willimon was a part of the writing for Ides, which is always a good sign.

The only thing that holds the film back is Clooney’s need to flesh out some of Morris’ politics. Some of the scenes and speeches comes off as Clooney’s chance on soap box. While this may turn off some viewers (my mother, for one, does not like Clooney precisely because of his politics), I think the bigger concern is that it distracts from the actual, back-room intrigue that really is the crux of the film. Also, there is a tragic turn involving the aforementioned sex with an attractive intern (Evan Rachel Wood, in all her doe-eyed, perfect blonde-locked glory) that may come off as somewhat hackneyed, but Clooney and Co. execute it effectively enough to forgive any initial misgivings. It also pays off extremely well for the arc of the film. So yeah.

Still, The Ides of March is a superb thriller, and it is effective in its use of interpersonal conflict as a driving force of drama, rather than depending on machine guns and terrorist plots and assassination plots. Think All the King’s Men and The West Wing; not State of Play or The Manchurian Candidate. Or, if it helps, think about this:

Except, of course, with A LOT more pathos

From Russia With Love,

Deuce Cooper

The Ides of March, directed by George Clooney, written by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, starring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, and Paul Giamatti, based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon. Opened October 7th, 2011. Trailer below: