The Ides of March

The Ides of March (15) -100 minutes -2011

"Beware The Ides of March", warned the prophet. Caesar refused to take notice and it cost him his life, stabbed 23 times, in the back. George Clooney's Ides of March, his fourth film as director, is as dramatic, if less bloody and with the US Presidential race now upon us, rather more timely. With echoes of both Robert Redford's, The Candidate (1972) and Mike Nichols' Primary Colours (1998), IoM tells the story of corruption and compromise, of idealism betrayed and of innocence turned to dust.

Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) is on his way to the White House and lighting his way are his political aides, cynic, Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and idealist, Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling). As the two of them structure a flawless campaign, Zara's opposite number, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), has ideas of his own. He ruthlessly sets out to destroy their campaign; “it isn’t personal” he tells a bewildered Meyers. However neither Chief of Staff planned on the nemesis of Presidents, the sensuous intern played by Evan Rachel Wood.

Clooney has assembled a very strong cast, watchable, competent and comfortable in their roles. Giamatti for example, is in the form of his life. From The Last Station (2009) and Barney's Version (2010) to Win Win (2010) and Too Big To Fail (2012) , this diminutive but touching actor is in almost constant demand. PSH, similarly omnipresent, is his usual, professional self, here, careworn, world weary and tired of doing battle. Also compelling is Rachel Evan Wood in a short but moving cameo as Molly Stearns and, despite some (false) modesty - "You simply don't have an option when George (Clooney) calls" - never out of her depth. Gosling himself is the star of the show. Flush with success from Nick Refn's thriller, Drive, the 31 year old Canadian, is on top of his game. Compelling and persuasive, particularly his scenes with Evan Wood, he seems suited to his role, his boyish good looks somehow symbolising his beliefs.

Despite his own, well-publicised political leanings, Clooney depoliticises the film, his sanitised thriller neither republican nor democrat. This is a film about the politics of greed and the uncontrollable need to rise to the top. Its acting is good, its dialogue is slick (though less sleek than West Wing), and its storyline neat, especially the twists.
Well-structured and intelligent and like Clooney’s own career, good but not great. 8.5/10.

DM
November 2011