As a slow-burning melodrama, don’t expect any explosive tension as these candidates go head to head in Ides of March- but watch the sparks crackle under the surface of this character study starring Ryan Gosling and George Clooney…
As a slow-burning melodrama, don’t expect any explosive political tensions as these candidates go head to head – but watch the sparks crackle under the surface of this smouldering character study.
Based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon, Ides of March (the significance of the title is the day Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15) tells the tale of an idealistic political campaign manager Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling).
A smooth talker and communications dream-whiz, Stephen dazzles everyone including journalist Ida (Marisa Tomei) and young intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood, below).
Stephen maintains he only fights for something he believes in and what that, is is Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney). However, as the cracks begin to open up, and Stephen is faced with hard decisions, his ideals start to come crashing down.
Below: Double vision- Gosling, the man behind Clooney.
The gripping poster really cleverly sums up this film. Although hiding in Morris’ shadow, this film is truly all about Meyers. Young, idealistic and blindly following Morris to the cause, the tarnish on Morris begins to show, and Meyers’ walks down a road that takes him head-first into the world of dirty politics.
While it does sound like a political cliché of broken ideals and corrupt politicians – and it is to a certain extent –it’s the quality of acting that drives this film. Since the early 1990s, Ryan Gosling has re-invented himself from hunky heartthrob, to indie expert, to the leading man and Oscar contender he is today. Meyers’ transition is so subtle and so intense it takes a great actor to pull it off.
Like man of his self-directed and starred films, Clooney really takes a back-foot here to the ‘action’ (I use that word lightly as there is no physical action per say). Still commanding as Morris, he manages to step aside as figurehead without being onscreen all that often.
While the action is light, and there are no dramatic revelations, the drama is steady and punctuated. Human decisions drive the action, with one wrong decision after another having fatal consequences for many of the main characters, as they struggle to keep Morris the lead candidate for Ohio state.
Like politics, not everything is explicitly stated with dodgy deals and dramatic conversations often removed from the viewer’s direct line of sight. Like politics, often the biggest decisions are hidden behind closed doors, like sparks under the surface waiting to ignite.
Reel Moments
The crowd pleaser –
Ryan Gosling’s transition from the young idealist to the jaded staffer, getting lost in the world of dirty politics is absolutely stunning. A true Oscar contender this year, who was sadly forgotten.
The stage dive –
Those expecting a solid thriller with huge twists and turns will be disappointed – it is a character study of human judgement more than a political thriller with dead bodies piling up.
Final curtain call? –
For someone that has an intense dislike for politics, I really enjoyed this. I was confused at times, left feeling somewhat unsatisfied without the intensity so often felt with Hollywood films, but on reflection it was a brilliantly acted dramatic piece.
By Laura Weaser
22 February 2012
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