TIFF ‘11: The Ides Of March review
Though it was considered an early Oscar contender, “The Ides Of March” is really more of a popcorn movie for adults set against the backdrop of a political campaign. Adapted from the play “Farragut North,” George Clooney directs, co-writes (with his frequent collaborator Grant Heslov) and stars as Governor Mike Morris in this political potboiler. The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the campaign to elect Morris as Democratic Candidate for President and the backstabbing, infighting and compromised ethics that go along with it.
Ryan Gosling stars as Stephen Myers, a young hotshot political strategist working on the Morris campaign who is second-in-command to lead strategist Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Stephen is such an integral part of the Morris campaign that the strategist for the other Democratic candidate (Paul Giamatti) tries to lure him to the other side. In spite of his better judgement Stephen agrees to take a meeting with him and things start to spiral out of control from there. He also develops a relationship with Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood), a young intern who ends up pulling him into even deeper trouble.
The cast is rounded out by Marrisa Tomei as a NY Times reporter looking for a scoop and Jeffrey Wright as an Ohio senator who could just sway the votes for one candidate or another. Despite Clooney’s face sharing the real estate on the poster, this is really Gosling’s film. On a roll that started with “Blue Valentine” last December and has continued through “Crazy Stupid Love” and (the best movie so far this year) “Drive” the young actor is having a banner year. It’s great seeing him go toe to toe with Clooney, Hoffman and Wood (the two have some real chemistry together). Credit Clooney’s power as a director for being able to assemble all these actors who have headlined their own films turn up for strong supporting parts here.
The film zips along following Gosling’s character as he starts to unravel but there are a few twists that you’re not sure if you buy the character’s motivation and take the film into the melodramatic. Despite it’s political setting it seems less politically minded than some of Clooney’s other films in front of or behind the camera. Yes, the filmmaker has something to say about the sacrifices politicians are forced to make to stay in the game, even to their own integrity, but he also wants to make sure the audience is still having a good time. While he falls short of making a film that may resonate come come election time, he succeeds in making a damn entertaining film.
