The Ides of March is ostensibly about the cynicism and corruption of American political campaigns, political operatives and politicians. Ryan Gosling stars as Stephen Meyers, the dedicated and idealistic communications director for liberal Democratic presidential candidate Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney), in the days leading up to the fateful Ohio Primary, as Meyers discovers that his candidate is less than perfect, and that the business of politics can be dirty. Oh really. Who knew?
The ides of March is directed by Clooney from a screenplay he co-wrote. It tells us nothing, yet takes itself very seriously. In this, it reminds me a lot of Margin Call (2011), which revealed – very soberly – that Wall Street traders in credit default swaps etc were self-centered, amoral, profit seekers.
The basic story is engaging and entertaining, if you don’t think about it too much. The acting is excellent from a weak script. Clooney hits just the right notes as a likeable, photogenic, ideally progressive politician in the Jed Bartlet mold. Gosling is very watchable. His character is naively earnest, until the stars fall from his eyes, after which he is relentlessly, bitterly cynical. We get Phillip Seymour Hoffman doing his smug, smartypants thing as Morris’ campaign manager (and Gosling’s boss), Paul Giammotti, in his sleazy-manipulator incarnation, as the manager of the opposing candidate’s campaign, and Evan Rachel Wood is pretty believable as the young intern eager to sleep with the powerful. Marisa Tomei and Jeffrey Wright do their best with shallow, cartoonish roles.
Ultimately, though we are left with a message movie with a trite message, and a political story that makes little sense. There’s a little hint of romance, some backstabbing melodrama, and a revenge motif, none of which is explored with much interest. The pace of the film is also out of kilter with the events of the story. It’s a hard fought primary coming down to the wire. Things are starting to go wrong. Yet nobody seems frantic, there are no late-nighters, and Meyer has plenty of time for dinner and drinks in the evening, a roll in the hay or two, and personal errands during the day.
Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing did this sort of thing with a great deal more realism, much sharper dialogue, and more interesting characterizations.
Available On Demand from Xfinity/Comcast and streaming from Amazon Instant Video; or on DVD from Netflix and elsewhere.
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