The Ides of March (Sony Pictures)
Rated R for pervasive language.
Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Max Minghella, Jennifer Ehle, Gregory Itzin, and Michael Mantell.
Written by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, based on the paly "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon.
Directed by George Clooney.
GRADE: A-
REVIEW:
Anybody who knows me, knows I love politics. They also know I love movies (duh), but there has always been a chasm between my two passions, due in part to the rarity of political movies that aren't too political. In other words, too many Hollywood political movies have a rather noticeable slant (usually to the left), which causes folks like me to lose interest, and the filmmakers to lose a campaign busload of credibility. The Ides of March, written and directed by George Clooney, is one of those rare political films that really is about politics, and not just about a clandestine (or obvious) promotion of a political ideology.
Ryan Gosling stars as Steve, a senior campaign lieutenant working to help his candidate, Pennsylvannia Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) win the Ohio primary in a tight race. Steve's boss and campaign manager is Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a shrewd man who values loyalty above all else. Steve is a rising star in the democratic campaign business, and a true believer in Morris' progressive ideals. He soon develops a sexual relationship with Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), a beautiful 20-year-old intern whose dad is also the head of the Democratic Party. Steve is also recruited by the other leading Democrat's campaign manager (Paul Giamatti), and has a secret meeting with the enemy leader to discuss changing loyalties.
When Paul finds out about the meeting, things begin to unravel for Steve, who also discovers a shocking truth about his new girlfriend and the candidate. Steve must decide between salvaging his ideals or salvaging his political future.
The Ides of March (based on the play "Farragut North," named for the train stop nearest to most political consultant firms in Washington D.C.) is an excellent film, and even more, an excellent film about the reality of politics. The script is tight (although laden with a plethora of R-rated F-bombs) and the acting performances are top notch, worthy of Oscar contention (especially Gosling, Hoffman, Giamatti, Wood, and Clooney).
What I loved most about The Ides of March is the unflinching way Clooney displays the realities of the contemporary political world. Clooney, no stranger to progressive ideals, allows himself the luxury of being able to spout off countless campaign speeches laden with talking points that seem lifted directly from MoveOn.org's website, (or even from our current president's 2008 platform), yet he retains credibility by playing a less-than-savory, flawed, and unsympathetic character. The progressive message isn't the main theme of The Ides of March, any more than the cryptic references to so-called evil Republicans, who are often mentioned but never seen in the film.
The message of The Ides of March is that ideals don't matter unless you win, especially in today's winner-take-all political climate. While that reality may not be of much comfort to those who think their political ideology will win on merit, it is the unfortunate truth, and I commend Clooney for having the guts to tell that truth, even if I don't agree with his politics.
