Rated R for pervasive language
Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright
Director: George Clooney
"I'll do or say anything if I believe in the cause, but I have to believe in the cause."
The above sentiment is spoken by a campaign staffer in the employment of a highly-respected governor and democratic presidential hopeful. But he is merely repeating an untested political ideal. When those ideals become fodder for manipulation by the politically unscrupulous, the staffer finds his values bending in ways he could not have fathomed.
"The Ides of March" is a lean, crisp, riveting thriller that doesn't break new ground as far as political truths go, but is nonetheless a smart piece of filmmaking with a story constructed a bit like a tsunami... we can sense the moment when the water ominously recedes, and the subsequent instant the wave begins to thunder ashore. The cast of characters includes both the idealistic and the cynical, and the movie is wise enough to realize that an idealist scorned is far more dangerous than a cynic.
I'll have to be mindful of how much I reveal, as the film's effectiveness hinges upon watching this story unfold. The setting is the state of Ohio, and the film drops us in the midst of the democratic primary race. At the center of the story is an idealistic campaign media mind named Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), who works tirelessly in the service of Pennsylvania governor and presidential hopeful Mike Morris (George Clooney). Stephen's boss is Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a highly-respected political veteran known for his unwavering loyalty. Paul’s number one goal at the moment is securing the endorsement of Ohio senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) who seems to be shamelessly offering said endorsement to whichever candidate can offer the most prolific cabinet post. Governor Morris' democratic primary challenger is a senator named Pullman (Michael Mantell), whose campaign is managed by a wily strategist named Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti).
The idealism that seems to define Stephen is met with varying reactions from different individuals... it's met with caution by his own campaign manager; it's countered with endearing skepticism by New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) who calls things as she sees them ("…your boy wins, you get a job in the White House; he loses, you’re back at a consulting firm off K Street…"), and it's embraced with unbridled interest by a delicately attractive intern named Molly Sears (Evan Rachel Wood) who is the DNC chairman’s daughter, and to whom Stephen engages in a romantic liaison.
One day out of the blue, the opposing campaign manager calls Stephen and requests a meeting. This is highly unusual. Compelled by curiosity, flattery, or perhaps a bit of both, Stephen takes the meeting in secret. The purpose of the meet is for recruitment to the opposing side. Of course Stephen refuses, but once word leaks to his bosses, the bell has been rung. In addition, Stephen soon learns of some rather unsavory truths regarding the man to whom he has spent the last few years serving. The dominoes begin to fall from there.
The movie is fascinating in the two tiers of personality types it focuses on. One is the politician himself… the inherently charismatic type who can win hearts and minds with superlative oratory skills and moderate intelligence. The other are the behind-the-red-white-and-blue-backdrop types; supremely perspicacious individuals with the requisite acuity to play up their candidates’ best traits while all-too-often laboring to conceal those skeletons that can derail a politician’s future. Stephen is exceptional as a behind-the-scenes campaign advisor, yet also possesses the shiftiness and fluidity that could lead to a successful career as a renowned public figure. This raises concerns in the "back rooms" of politics, where steadfast fealty to a candidate over a cause is a key component. Both Paul Zara and Tom Duffy sense this about Stephen, and one exploits it.
Describing an actor as having an understated intensity is a bit of an oxymoron, but Ryan Gosling is making a career out of that very description. He plays Stephen with a strange kind of sad-eyed fervency; caught between personal regret and vocational preservation, even at the cost of keeping painful truths secret. He’s no cleaner than anyone else here. George Clooney plays a presidential candidate with a straight-talking appeal and a rallying cry so seductive that we can easily find ourselves seeking any reason to shield our consciousness from unsetting realities, which proves difficult upon learning what we learn.
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti are terrific as two punctilious political minds with jobs that don’t afford them the luxury of the kind of reckless thinking that can plague big-league political figures. After feeling betrayed by both Paul and Governor Morris, Stephen approaches opposing campaign manager Duffy and offers to work for him, but is turned away. "Revenge makes people unpredictable. Can’t have that," Duffy tells him. "What if I had something on Morris? Something big," Stephen counters. Duffy scoffs at the proposal… and he’s right to do so. He knows the kid’s career is in jeopardy, and the only way to save it is to reveal the information he’s offering to give up now. It’d be like trying to independently hire an Al-qaeda leader to plot a terrorist attack. There’s no point in hiring him.
The film is based upon the stage play "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon, who co-wrote the screen adaptation with Clooney and his longtime collaborator Grant Heslov. The truths revealed, the sentiments expressed, and the points made don’t really shed new light on anything we’ve seen in various other political thrillers, but this one is no less thrilling. As with all skilled political dramas, we find ourselves asking the questions we dread. How much trust can we put in our political leaders? How much can we forget? And do we really have much of a choice?
* * * 1/2 out of * * * * stars
The above sentiment is spoken by a campaign staffer in the employment of a highly-respected governor and democratic presidential hopeful. But he is merely repeating an untested political ideal. When those ideals become fodder for manipulation by the politically unscrupulous, the staffer finds his values bending in ways he could not have fathomed.
"The Ides of March" is a lean, crisp, riveting thriller that doesn't break new ground as far as political truths go, but is nonetheless a smart piece of filmmaking with a story constructed a bit like a tsunami... we can sense the moment when the water ominously recedes, and the subsequent instant the wave begins to thunder ashore. The cast of characters includes both the idealistic and the cynical, and the movie is wise enough to realize that an idealist scorned is far more dangerous than a cynic.
I'll have to be mindful of how much I reveal, as the film's effectiveness hinges upon watching this story unfold. The setting is the state of Ohio, and the film drops us in the midst of the democratic primary race. At the center of the story is an idealistic campaign media mind named Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), who works tirelessly in the service of Pennsylvania governor and presidential hopeful Mike Morris (George Clooney). Stephen's boss is Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a highly-respected political veteran known for his unwavering loyalty. Paul’s number one goal at the moment is securing the endorsement of Ohio senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright) who seems to be shamelessly offering said endorsement to whichever candidate can offer the most prolific cabinet post. Governor Morris' democratic primary challenger is a senator named Pullman (Michael Mantell), whose campaign is managed by a wily strategist named Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti).
The idealism that seems to define Stephen is met with varying reactions from different individuals... it's met with caution by his own campaign manager; it's countered with endearing skepticism by New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) who calls things as she sees them ("…your boy wins, you get a job in the White House; he loses, you’re back at a consulting firm off K Street…"), and it's embraced with unbridled interest by a delicately attractive intern named Molly Sears (Evan Rachel Wood) who is the DNC chairman’s daughter, and to whom Stephen engages in a romantic liaison.
One day out of the blue, the opposing campaign manager calls Stephen and requests a meeting. This is highly unusual. Compelled by curiosity, flattery, or perhaps a bit of both, Stephen takes the meeting in secret. The purpose of the meet is for recruitment to the opposing side. Of course Stephen refuses, but once word leaks to his bosses, the bell has been rung. In addition, Stephen soon learns of some rather unsavory truths regarding the man to whom he has spent the last few years serving. The dominoes begin to fall from there.
The movie is fascinating in the two tiers of personality types it focuses on. One is the politician himself… the inherently charismatic type who can win hearts and minds with superlative oratory skills and moderate intelligence. The other are the behind-the-red-white-and-blue-backdrop types; supremely perspicacious individuals with the requisite acuity to play up their candidates’ best traits while all-too-often laboring to conceal those skeletons that can derail a politician’s future. Stephen is exceptional as a behind-the-scenes campaign advisor, yet also possesses the shiftiness and fluidity that could lead to a successful career as a renowned public figure. This raises concerns in the "back rooms" of politics, where steadfast fealty to a candidate over a cause is a key component. Both Paul Zara and Tom Duffy sense this about Stephen, and one exploits it.
Describing an actor as having an understated intensity is a bit of an oxymoron, but Ryan Gosling is making a career out of that very description. He plays Stephen with a strange kind of sad-eyed fervency; caught between personal regret and vocational preservation, even at the cost of keeping painful truths secret. He’s no cleaner than anyone else here. George Clooney plays a presidential candidate with a straight-talking appeal and a rallying cry so seductive that we can easily find ourselves seeking any reason to shield our consciousness from unsetting realities, which proves difficult upon learning what we learn.
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti are terrific as two punctilious political minds with jobs that don’t afford them the luxury of the kind of reckless thinking that can plague big-league political figures. After feeling betrayed by both Paul and Governor Morris, Stephen approaches opposing campaign manager Duffy and offers to work for him, but is turned away. "Revenge makes people unpredictable. Can’t have that," Duffy tells him. "What if I had something on Morris? Something big," Stephen counters. Duffy scoffs at the proposal… and he’s right to do so. He knows the kid’s career is in jeopardy, and the only way to save it is to reveal the information he’s offering to give up now. It’d be like trying to independently hire an Al-qaeda leader to plot a terrorist attack. There’s no point in hiring him.
The film is based upon the stage play "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon, who co-wrote the screen adaptation with Clooney and his longtime collaborator Grant Heslov. The truths revealed, the sentiments expressed, and the points made don’t really shed new light on anything we’ve seen in various other political thrillers, but this one is no less thrilling. As with all skilled political dramas, we find ourselves asking the questions we dread. How much trust can we put in our political leaders? How much can we forget? And do we really have much of a choice?
* * * 1/2 out of * * * * stars
