The Ides Of March [2011]

I’m a bit late coming to this movie, but having heard good buzz, I expected nothing less than a great piece of work from director George Clooney. I guess this is my way of saying that I was a bit disappointed by “The Ides Of March”. But at least I can begin with a positive note: the movie features an all star cast, with George Clooney and Ryan Gosling in the leads, but even if you’re attracted to this film by their presence, you’re not likely to leave feeling satisfied. It was perfectly clear to me after “Good Night and Goodluck” back in 2005 that Clooney can direct as well as act. I guess this is the reason why I was more than willing to accept the premise of “The Ides Of March”, about a young campaign staffer, Stephen Myers (Gosling) working on the presidential campaign of  Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), a man whose promises of real change and clean politics have energized many of the young staffers who work for and support him. As Myers floats along in this state of political idealism, he also learns hard lessons about the reality of American politics and comes to realize how corruptive and immoral it truly is. The intriguing characters and the sharp dialogue are definitely the strong points of “The Ides Of March”. The downside is that it offers nothing new to the table. Yes we get it: politics can corrupt almost anyone. You didn’t need a movie to tell you that now did you?

What keeps the movie going are the two leads and their supporting cast. If you’ve seen Gosling in “Lars and The Real Girl” and “Drive”, you know he’s an actor who means business. And Clooney is…well Clooney. The two strongest figures in the supporting cast are undoubtedly Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, who play rival campaign managers. They both nail the task of delivering some very strong dialogue about the true nature of politics. Other than that, “The Ides Of March” didn’t really hit me like it was supposed to. I enjoyed it, but I can’t say I loved it. There have been some great political movies over the years, like “Primary Colors” and “The Contender”. “The Ides Of March” just isn’t in their league.

Rating: 2.5/4