The Ides of March is George Clooney's latest addition to his writing/directing canon, and for my money, this is the best. Admittedly I am a Ryan Gosling and (to a lesser extent) Clooney fangirl, but even without the dreamy actors, this is a riveting story of political idealism gone horribly wrong.
Clooney plays Governor Mike Morris, an idealistic left of the leftest Democrat who is gearing up for the Democratic primary in Ohio. The other Democratic contender is a Bible-loving Southerner, i.e. what would be a Republican in days of yore but can now count as a Democrat, and the two camps are battling to win this primary and gain a lead in the polls. Morris's campaign is run by his senior political consultant Paul (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), and the media whiz Steven (Ryan Gosling), who is a kind of boy wonder that knows how best to pull the strings to make a campaign succeed. However, Steven is only 30 years old, not yet corrupted and jaded by Washington politics, and he fervently believes in Mike Morris and that he is going to change the world. For him, winning the primary, and eventually the general election, is not a matter of doing a good job - it's a matter of making America a better place to live.
It's a little hard to imagine a politician like this even making it to the primaries in our current political climate (or even getting elected for that matter) because his ideas are rather radical. He also refuses to be religious, which would ordinarily kill his chances then and there. But you're willing to go along with it: clearly this is Clooney's ideal politician, and since this is a movie, you can suspend reality and pretend that this great man is a viable candidate. My initial impression was that this was going to a very dull treatise on politics and how we need high-minded men like Gov. Mike Morris in office. But boy was I wrong. As I mentioned in the title of this post, this is a political thriller. And one by one, those high-minded ideals come crashing down.
It's impossible to discuss this film without spoiling key plot points. So instead I will just discuss the various components that make this movie so superb. First, the actors. Ryan Gosling has been saturating the theaters with his work this year but unlike that horrible Year of Jude Law in 2004, I don't get tired of him. Yes, he's easy on the eyes, and the Feminist Ryan Gosling meme doesn't hurt, but forget that. The man can act. In this film, his character undergoes a complete 180 (and possible 360 depending on how you interpret the ending) and you're with him every step of the way. Clooney makes you love the Governor and then despise him in quick succession. Evan Rachel Wood effortlessly goes from sexy and endearing to fragile and desperate. And the stalwart Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti play rival political consultants with their usual flair.
Next, the editing. This film has been put together expertly and there is not a single superfluous scene. Every detail is crisp and gorgeous, from the first shot to the last, and of course credit must be given to Clooney. His directing often favors long close-ups that allow the actors to showcase their craft, and here, everyone is quick to put their best foot forward. The writing is also excellent. The dialogue is crackling, never superfluous, and extremely natural, all of which makes sense considering that the story is based on a play. And I would be incredibly remiss if I didn't mention the score. No thriller can succeed without a good score (just ask Hitchcock) and the score for The Ides of March does not disappoint. An anxiety-provoking, pulse-pounding, smoky, desperate thrill ride that knows just when to go silent, it helps to build tension and keep you on the edge of your seat for a scene in which you are just staring at a black van for 20 seconds, with no idea of what's being discussed by the men inside. The film's composer is Alexandre Desplat (I should have realized right away, the man can create the right atmosphere for a film in any genre), and I'm willing to bet he will chalk up more nominations for himself when awards season rolls around.
Finally, the ending. I had a debate with my friend about whether a person's interpretation of what was going to follow the ending of the film would tell you something about their politics or personality. I won't divulge my thoughts on the subject here, but suffice to say, this is a film that leads to further discussion, a hallmark of a great movie. This is a story that is told effectively and ends perfectly, in a way that makes the film feel complete but still leaves you wanting more. Watch it - you'll be surprised at how thrilling the mechanics of a political campaign can be.
Clooney plays Governor Mike Morris, an idealistic left of the leftest Democrat who is gearing up for the Democratic primary in Ohio. The other Democratic contender is a Bible-loving Southerner, i.e. what would be a Republican in days of yore but can now count as a Democrat, and the two camps are battling to win this primary and gain a lead in the polls. Morris's campaign is run by his senior political consultant Paul (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), and the media whiz Steven (Ryan Gosling), who is a kind of boy wonder that knows how best to pull the strings to make a campaign succeed. However, Steven is only 30 years old, not yet corrupted and jaded by Washington politics, and he fervently believes in Mike Morris and that he is going to change the world. For him, winning the primary, and eventually the general election, is not a matter of doing a good job - it's a matter of making America a better place to live.
It's a little hard to imagine a politician like this even making it to the primaries in our current political climate (or even getting elected for that matter) because his ideas are rather radical. He also refuses to be religious, which would ordinarily kill his chances then and there. But you're willing to go along with it: clearly this is Clooney's ideal politician, and since this is a movie, you can suspend reality and pretend that this great man is a viable candidate. My initial impression was that this was going to a very dull treatise on politics and how we need high-minded men like Gov. Mike Morris in office. But boy was I wrong. As I mentioned in the title of this post, this is a political thriller. And one by one, those high-minded ideals come crashing down.
It's impossible to discuss this film without spoiling key plot points. So instead I will just discuss the various components that make this movie so superb. First, the actors. Ryan Gosling has been saturating the theaters with his work this year but unlike that horrible Year of Jude Law in 2004, I don't get tired of him. Yes, he's easy on the eyes, and the Feminist Ryan Gosling meme doesn't hurt, but forget that. The man can act. In this film, his character undergoes a complete 180 (and possible 360 depending on how you interpret the ending) and you're with him every step of the way. Clooney makes you love the Governor and then despise him in quick succession. Evan Rachel Wood effortlessly goes from sexy and endearing to fragile and desperate. And the stalwart Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti play rival political consultants with their usual flair.
Next, the editing. This film has been put together expertly and there is not a single superfluous scene. Every detail is crisp and gorgeous, from the first shot to the last, and of course credit must be given to Clooney. His directing often favors long close-ups that allow the actors to showcase their craft, and here, everyone is quick to put their best foot forward. The writing is also excellent. The dialogue is crackling, never superfluous, and extremely natural, all of which makes sense considering that the story is based on a play. And I would be incredibly remiss if I didn't mention the score. No thriller can succeed without a good score (just ask Hitchcock) and the score for The Ides of March does not disappoint. An anxiety-provoking, pulse-pounding, smoky, desperate thrill ride that knows just when to go silent, it helps to build tension and keep you on the edge of your seat for a scene in which you are just staring at a black van for 20 seconds, with no idea of what's being discussed by the men inside. The film's composer is Alexandre Desplat (I should have realized right away, the man can create the right atmosphere for a film in any genre), and I'm willing to bet he will chalk up more nominations for himself when awards season rolls around.
Finally, the ending. I had a debate with my friend about whether a person's interpretation of what was going to follow the ending of the film would tell you something about their politics or personality. I won't divulge my thoughts on the subject here, but suffice to say, this is a film that leads to further discussion, a hallmark of a great movie. This is a story that is told effectively and ends perfectly, in a way that makes the film feel complete but still leaves you wanting more. Watch it - you'll be surprised at how thrilling the mechanics of a political campaign can be.
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