MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE IDES OF MARCH
KEY CAST MEMBERS: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright and Max Minghella
WRITER(S): George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon; based upon the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon
DIRECTOR: George Clooney
WEB SITE: www.idesofmarch-movie.com/
THE PLOT: Based upon co-writer's original play Farragut North, The Ides of March stars George Clooney (who was partially inspired to make the film by his father Nick's failed 2004 campaign for Senate in Kentucky) as Mike Morris. Governor of an unspecified state (although Pennsylvania is mentioned as the character's native area), Morris comes across as a very smooth-talking, never rattled, very confident in himself politician much in the vein of a certain resident of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. Not sure who I'm talking about? Watch the movie and it couldn't be more obvious who they "hope" Morris reminds you of. Anyway ...
Morris has two dedicated men working on his behalf - Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a veteran campaign manager who knows the ins and outs of the business and Stephen Meyers, a young, upstart who serves as his main media spokesman. While Paul works the angles as he always has with people like Ida (Marisa Tomei), a reporter for the New York Times and Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright), who carries critical party influence, Stephen is whip-smart and magnetic ... But also truly believes in Morris. It's those qualities that attracts people to Stephen, even interns like Molly (Evan Rachel Wood).
What could stop Morris, however, is the presence of his rival, Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell). For both Morris and Pullman are seeking to win the Ohio Democratic Primary, for "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation" as they say. And Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), Pullman's campaign manager, is as savvy as he is shrewd ... And he's very, very shrewd. But Tom also knows talent when he sees it - and Stephen is very, very talented - hence the reason he wants to set up a meeting with him.
What ensues may change Stephen's life, as well as those of everyone involved with both Morris and Pullman's campaigns ... And possibly America as we know it, too ...
THE TAKE: The Ides of March does - or at least attempts to do - a couple things. First, it not subtle in any fashion interjects some of Clooney's own political ideologies into the public consciousness. (For a man who's repeatedly denied every planning to run for office one day, this movie really does a lot to make you think to the contrary.) Second, it attempts to really, really, REALLY give Cincinnatians an incentive to see a movie by inserting just about every local artifact (save for baseball and chili) into the background of the film's scenery. Third, it attempts to show the origins of potential scandals and how closed door dealings that are so simple in origin yet highly complex and effective in execution they can effect our political system as we know it.
The third task is the biggest and most important task of The Ides of March and Clooney, one of it's co-writers, co-stars and director, hits more than he misses ... But when he misses, he really misses to the point you start awaiting the hits with great anticipation.
What slows the film from being a Hall of Fame-caliber player as opposed to just being a borderline all-star affair? Well, the fact that the first half is rather, well, slow for starters. Next, there are some highly predictable parts of the story that while necessary to move things forward are foreshadowed a bit too much. And the drama that really sets things in motion is ripped right from today's headlines ... Which were the same headlines they've been since the 1980s.
In other words, it's not that The Ides of March breaks any new ground in terms of exposing politics - what it does, do, however, is show how we've become so complacent with it all that the best players in the game know how to play so dirty that they can maintain or gain positions of power while fooling us under the guise of hope and change. Or, perhaps it's more a message that all of the hope and change we keep thinking politicians will bring us gets crushed by the trappings of power and authority and ultimately, the nature of the game is to learn how to best preserve one's own skin and work the system to do so.
It's a little unclear what the message of the film is, truly, as - much like politics themselves - things are left a little open-ended depending on your take. You will learn, however, that absolute power corrupts absolutely, you shouldn't hate the players as much as you should the game (yes, I used a played out urban phrase) and that Clooney really looks good in a suit while Gosling is doing his best to be the new 30-something Brad Pitt looks-wise with more charisma and confidence. (Pitt, Clooney and Johnny Depp aren't young men anymore ...) This is Gosling's movie - you'll just wish it didn't take so long to get going because when it finally does, it's pretty interesting. The performances carry the movie more than they should and the opportunity to dig deeper is never fully utilized.
PARTING SHOT: While not the perfect political thriller/drama by any means, The Ides of March does effectively make you question the business of politics as usual and how large a role they play in modern system ... And if nothing else, Cincinnatians will likely enjoy the scenery.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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