The Ides of March (2011)
Certified: 16
Duration: 101 minutes
Directed by: George Clooney
Starring: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood
KRS release

The Ides of March, based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon, tackles the subjects of corruption, power and greed in the tricky world of the political arena.

Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is running for President. He receives ample help from strategist Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) who is quite an idealist. Mike’s rival is Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell) of the Democratic Ohio Primary elections. Under the guidance of campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Stephen, along with staffer Ben (Max Minghella) and intern Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), work hard to get their candidate elected. Pullman’s campaign manager is Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), an experienced veteran who will stop at nothing to win and he is hounding the likes of Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright)and other delegates to get all the support for his candidate. Election fever is on and Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei), an independent reporter, is eager to get the latest scoop, from whichever camp it may be.

So Stephen provides her with information in the hope that this will turn into positive coverage of his candidate.

However, he soon realises that his idealist beliefs are not that well founded, that people are playing a higher game and other people’s agendas are playing with his motives. At this point Stephen has to decide whether he is to continue in his idealistic stance or simply change his game and do anything possible to simply win.

George Clooney in the role of a politician is so credible that he should actually consider a career change! As an actor, he is self assured and emanates charisma, and as a director, he shows increasing confidence behind the camera.

However, it is Ryan Gosling that steals the spotlight. We see his character change as he moves from his naïve stance: “nothing bad happens when you’re doing the right thing” to his new evaluation of good and bad when the concept of winning comes into play.

We get to look at the political field through Mr Gosling’s eyes and we get to draw our own assumptions.

Hollywood has delivered many films about political scandal and The Ides of March easily slots in as one of the most self-aware and revealing of films as it delves into questions of loyalty, backstabbing and the power of words and dialogue.

Playwright Beau Willimon had worked on the campaigns of Howard Den and US Senator Charles Schumer and some of the intensity felt during those campaigns as well as some of the cynicism at the way one looks at politics have rubbed well onto this film. Definitely a likely candidate for some Oscar nomination.