Movie Review : The Ides of March

Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2011
Running time : 1 hour 38 minutes
Director : George Clooney
Cast : Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright

Directed by George Clooney, this political drama is based on Beau Willimon’s play “Farragut North”. In it, Clooney stars as Governor Mike Morris fighting the Presidential Primary in Ohio. Clooney’s political star is on the rise and Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) Morris’s Press Secretary works in tandem with Campaign Manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to keep it so. Opposing Morris in the state’s primaries is Senator Pullman aided by his wily campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti).

Meyers is an idealistic young campaigner in the cynical, jaded world of politics, but he is so because he truly believes in his man. And he says as much in the beginning of the film; Morris as President will be good for the country. Morris indeed is a liberal Democrat, avowing equality for all, standing up for the weaker communities and women’s rights – an incorruptible man who will not make compromises to further his cause.

But, you know that thing they say about feet of clay . . .

This was an interesting film. It is told from Meyer’s point of view, and he is the character we follow around in the narrative. Ryan Gosling is superb as Meyers, smart and swaggering, assured in the righteousness of his cause. As the film progresses, we get to see him vulnerable and incredulous, his character slowly developing an edge. Clooney himself plays a much lesser role as Morris, but his charisma fills the screen. Clooney as President? I think we’d all vote for him :-).

The film takes you into the hubbub of the political campaign, the strategizing and the slogging, the political maneuvering and the lobbying that go into creating a leader palatable to the American public. This wasn’t your average bad guy-good guy film, but as a viewer you’re involved anyway. Your sympathies lie with Meyers and as you watch him sink into a morass not-of-his-own-making, you sink a little too.

This plot-heavy film is well-paced and smartly directed. An engrossing watch, I highly recommend this one.