ldafin

(2012-05-01 04:37:30)

A waste of time

If you're not into politics big time, than this will seem to you like acollection of people - politicians - that are very preoccupied withtheir own persons, and they think the rest of the world must be in awewith them as well. They just talk so much unreasonable (so I wouldn'tcall it stupid) philosophy, that doesn't apply to pretty much anyone onplanet Earth. Silly ! Nobody was actually likable to me in the movieexcept for Clooney, he's been around for too long to not make somethinggood out of it. He was the only one that seemed legit to me, the onlyone that had some degree of structure and humanity. Ryan Gosling playedhis part like he just descended from "Fracture", he did exactly thesame type of character. Booooring !!!!

Daleburks

(2012-04-30 12:06:14)

Good Hollywood, not great

First, I am not a Clooney fan. Second, Clooney is very idealistic, andhis writing is mediocre. This movie would not have been made withouthis street cred, as the story followed like a box of donuts: mixed,sweet, but too much in the end. Ryan Gosling kills this role and putshim in the top 5 of living great actors. Wow. He sells this role fromhis first line. He is sheer joy to watch. But the story hit a number ofspeed bumps that created nice opportunities for tension and climaxresolution, but I was not sold. It would not have worked as a play:they needed editing to tie the loose ends together. So good for Clooneyto take the risk, but he has a ways to go as a writer. Down the road, Ithink he'll look back and say, "I could do better. On the good side,the music was excellent, the story topical, and with a bit of lessscrutiny the movie was entertaining. And I do look forward to his nextmovie.

Neil Welch

(2012-04-28 12:10:25)

Glum take of unpleasant people

The Ides Of March, directed and co-written by George Clooney, takes itstitle from the day on which Julius Caesar was betrayed by the Senatorshe trusted. Which is not to say that this is exactly an updating ofJulius Caesar. The political betrayal is elsewhere in this drama aboutthe machinations behind the campaign of US Presidential candidate MikeMiller (Clooney in a relatively small part). This film centres onMiller's media consultant Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) and hisinteractions with Miller's campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip SeymourHoffman), Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) who is the campaign manager ofMiller's opponent, Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) who is an internwith the Miller campaign, and Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei), a politicaljournalist.The opening is rather hard work for those of us who are not thatfamiliar with the mechanics of US politics but, as the roles of theindividuals become clear, and the plot develops, the human story takesover from the political one. It is quite interesting, albeit ratherglum, given that it involves the power struggles and other activitiesgoing on between a number of people, none of whom is very pleasant.All the cast are very good, but Clooney is outstanding. Gosling, not anactor who has impressed me so far, is given a part here which suits hisimpassive screen persona, and he gives glimpses of emotion. Perhapsthat is his gift, to project a lack of emotion and then to open thewindow slightly every now and then. I'm not convinced yet, though.It is no doubt a very worthy movie, and will probably do well come theawards season, but I can't say that I enjoyed it very much.

Neil George

(2012-04-28 02:34:43)

NRG's movie review

Check out the review for The Ides Of March (2011):http://nrgmoviereview.blogspot.com/2011/11/ides-of-march-2011.htmlHi, I'm NRG. I wasted my entire adult life watching movies… I'vewatched more movies than your average Joe, after a while I realizedthat I knew more about movies than most people. So I figured I might aswell do something useful with the movies I've watched and so I'vestarted writing reviews about them… How much time have you wasted bywatching some overrated or hyped up movie? And said to yourself 'well…that was a waste of time' now you don't have to worry, I'm here forthat… I'm just an average guy with average taste, nothing special aboutme… so, the movies that I like most of you will like. I write thehonest truth about movies, I criticize the movies I don't like andpraise the ones that I like. So you can trust me when I say a movie isgood or vice versa. So if you're like me and like the same movies Ilike, you don't have to waste time worrying about what movie to watch…just come to my blog search the movie you want and read my reviews andmake your decision.

dromasca

(2012-04-27 04:15:10)

The Electoral Films Year Has Begun

2012 is an electoral year in the United States, and every electoralyear is preceded by a few months by the electoral films year. It mustbe a few months in advance which makes the electoral films year be alittle different than the calendar year, but, hey, we do have thefinancial year, not to speak about various religious years and all aredifferent. There are at least two good reasons for the electoral filmsyear being different than the calendar year - the Oscars season, ofcourse, and the fact than by June or September the real thing becomestoo interesting for the Americans to care about movies any longer. Sothe time to watch electoral movies is about now, and The Ides of Marchis probably the first significant movie of electoral films year 2012.George Clooney is again here in front of the cameras as democraticpresidential candidate governor Morris and behind the cameras as thedirector of Ides of March. I liked his work in Good Night, and GoodLuck and I liked it here again. He has a precise hand, a goodcinematographic feel, is inspired in casting and directs well hisactors. However the show is completely stolen by Ryan Gosling, theactor who seems to dominate the season and is better and better eachfilm I see him in. In a focused performance Gosling succeeds to bringto screen the vision, the hope, the doubts, the ambitions of politicalmanager Stephen Meyers who in a matter of a few campaign daysapparently makes the transition from idealism to real-politikcampaigner and has to decide on the delicate balance between personaltruth and the greater goals of politics. Philip Seymour Hoffman who hasdisappeared from my radar screen after a few great roles is back with akey role in the story, Marisa Tomei has a smaller role than I wouldhave liked but it's always a pleasure to see her, Paul Giamati and EvanRachel Wood are fine in a balanced and well directed cast. The Ides ofMarch works well without being astonishing.Passionates of the genre and of American politics, George Clooney andRyan Gosling's fans will all love the film. The rest of us can watch itas a reasonably well made and well acted political thriller, and as astory of political coming-to-age in today's American system, as well asan undeniable sign that the electoral films year has really started.There is one story line which seemed all by neglected to me and this isthe personal tragedy of the young intern which is just a pretext in thedevelopment of the drama of the main characters. For once I think thatwhat this movie lacks is a small dose of melodrama.

Stuart Boston

(2012-04-26 11:46:45)

What a waste of 2 hours.

Yawn. Political "thriller" was about as thrilling as watching someoneelse watch paint dry.Avoid at all costs unless you like the West Wing, and even then, likeit slowed down to a snail's pace.There's no character development. The main character is portrayed aspolitically naive and yet manages to play the scandal in his favourousting someone who has many years more experience.Just not believable or enjoyable at all. Steer clear.I'm finding it hard to write anything at all good to pad this reviewout to the required 10 lines.

Gordon-11

(2012-04-26 16:21:52)

Behind the scenes in politics

This film is about a young man who works in a presidential campaignoffice. He learns that ideals and morality are not the most importantattributes in politics."The Ides of March" is a slowly evolving thriller. The story unfoldsbit by bit, and events becoming darker and more disturbing as the filmgoes along. It makes people wonder, what extremes would one prepare todo to reach the ultimate goal of success and power. What appears to bewholesome and squeaky clean on the surface cannot be trusted. Eventhough the events depicted in the film are not surprising, it is stilldisturbing facts to revisit.The performances of "The Ides of March" are captivating, particularlyby George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. The scene where the two battle itout in the kitchen store room is intensely enacted. I think GeorgeClooney shows that he is a great director yet again. I enjoyed watching"The Ides of March".

Vishal_s_kumar

(2012-04-26 04:57:42)

Taut Drama

Considering the troubling times we're currently stewing in, "The Idesof March" has been released at an opportune moment, tempting thediscontented with a story of utter political corruption. Of course,we've been here before, with cinema always there to expose the evils ofambition, especially when it concerns the fanged machine of Washington.The feature is a perfect fit for co-writer/director/star GeorgeClooney, who constructs a decidedly modern take on underhandedbusiness, yet channels the movie-making masters of 1970s to help reachan unsettling position of stillness, watching as corrupt men and womenslowly come to the realization that they've lost their integrity. It'sa sharp, satisfying plunge into duplicity, perhaps Clooney's mostintriguing offering as a filmmaker.Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is a hotshot aide to Governor Mike Morris(George Clooney), a Democratic presidential candidate using rampantidealism to bewitch voters. Stationed in Ohio, the Morris teamscrambles to secure local support, with campaign manager Paul Zara(Philip Seymour Hoffman) frantically working his connections to helpthe cause. On a whim, Stephen decides to take a lunch meeting with TomDuffy (Paul Giamatti), a top dog with the party rival, curious as towhat he'll find. When word of that meeting spreads to New York Timesreporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei), Stephen slips into panic mode, aprison cell of paranoia exacerbated by his affair with Morris internMolly Stearns (Evan Rachael Wood), a young woman holding numeroussecrets that could bring down the entire campaign.Adapted from the play "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon, "The Ides ofMarch" sheds every bit of stage-bound immobility, pushing forward as acharging piece of drama, perfectly at home on the big screen underClooney's expert care. Established as just another tale of innocencelost in the pro-wrestling world of modern politics, the materialproceeds to introduce subtle changes of behavior, revealing itself tobe a thematically rich investigation of honor in a vocation that feedson dishonesty. The screenplay doesn't blare any horns, instead assuminga serpentine route of revelation, observing Stephen's arc move frombuoyant political conductor to a cheated man out for revenge, onlyunderstanding the true purpose of his work when he's finally tastedfraud, comprehending that gamesmanship, not optimism, is the key towinning public office.This is a cynical film, kept afloat by its thriller overtones,gradually morphing into a tale of suspicion as Stephen comprehends thedepth of sin inside the Morris campaign. "The Ides of March" isprovocative but also enormously entertaining, held in place byGosling's riveting performance in the lead role, supported by a superbensemble of meaty character actors having a ball chewing on the juicyacts of intimidation and humiliation that litter the story. It's astellar cast, sniffing out that uncomfortable place betweenprofessionalism and utter chair-throwing rage, summarizing politics asa world where everyone is out to get everyone, but there's always ahandshake and smile to greet even the vilest opponent. Clooney capturessuch visceral frustration, that it keeps the picture fresh, even whenthe finale encounters formulaic acts of blackmail. The script needs alittle convention to provide a conclusion, but the moments leading upto the climax are irresistible in their extraordinary discomfort andeye-quaking wrath."The Ides of March" retains the sensation of a terrific Sidney Lumetfilm; steady with dark material, yet procedural enough to make theviewer feel like they're learning something about the system. Thebalance is wonderfully maintained by Clooney, who saves his knockoutpunch for the final shot, studying the life in Stephen's eyes drainaway, capturing the exact moment where the soul has dried up, replacedby steely, rehearsed political ambition. Chilling, but the truth oftenis.

david-foley33

(2012-04-19 10:47:22)

The Ides of March

So I just saw the Ides of March on Friday... and it was trulyfantastic. However the first half of the movie or so dragged on quite abit. But the moment the dirty politics start playing out, that's whereit gets exciting. Ryan Gosling is just fantastic in this movie as wellas Phillip Seymour Hoffman. George Clooney wasn't bad, but he didn'thave a big enough part for me to determine whether he was really good.Now, this movie has a lot of dialogue, so if you're looking for amindless political thriller blow em up movie, this isn't for you. Thedialogue is what essentially made this movie, the level of intensitywas just so great when the conversations went on. The cinematographywas truly amazing in this movie. They had a shot that showed thesilhouettes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ryan Gosling arguing behinda giant American Flag, and that was awesome. The one thing I lovedabout this movie were the face shots of Ryan Gosling, you can tell bythe look on his face how corrupt he really got throughout the wholemovie. This movie is an easy 4/5 stars and I would recommend it toanyone who has the patience for a slow start, otherwise it's a greatmovie!

aharmas

(2012-04-18 14:55:20)

Almost

Thank God for Ryan Gosling. He instills his work with potent acting.Even in his minimalistic work, we can't look away from something thatwill at least explosive. There's a strong core and unlimited potentialto this young man. Previous works that could have been laughable, evenin the sales pitch stages take a shade of truth when Gosling is in thespotlight. No doubt, Clooney is a star with his looks and smile, and hecan stand his own behind the camera, and we can always rely on Hoffman,Giamatti, and Tomei. The real surprise here is the chemistry betweenEvan Rachel Wood and Gosling. He portrays a character who is ambitious,but still retains much of what gives his character integrity. Suddenlyhe's facing a major political and personal crisis, and he must dealwith the consequences.The film drags at first, but if you give it a chance, you'll be in themiddle some interesting political scheming. Add to that the loss ofinnocence and some wild chess moves. Gosling is caught, pretty muchlike a deer in the headlights; the question is whether he'll be runover, or how much he's willing to move.There is a moment in the film when he's caught in what appears to bedecisively losing situation. Still, thanks to a clever and somehow, notmanipulative script, things don't quite turn out the way we expectthem. There is no mystery here. Things are laid on the table. It'sstill like a game of poker. The winner is the best bluffer, and Clooneymanages to put on a pretty good face, so does Hoffman, and Tomeisizzles in a very short turn, but keep your eye on Gosling...The question here is what is happening to American films lately. In"All The President's Men", the tension and our interest never waned. Itwasn't just the source, but the handling of the material. Even Nicholsmade "Primary Colors" an interesting ride. Let's be clear, just havinggreat soldiers doesn't quite give you an invincible army, we still needa great general, and here we almost got it.

troy-manatunga

(2012-04-11 07:58:14)

Most certainly a movie that will take down George Clooney and Ryan Gosling into the big leagues of Director and the next promising legend in Hollywood!

Just when one starts to accept its lights out for George Clooney, herehe is again right back on his feet with a 4 time nomination at the 2012Golden Globe Awards for his production THE IDES OF MARCH. Sadly thenight did not go well for THE IDES OF MARCH however surprisingly wellfor Clooney. Clooney bagged in the award for the Best performance by anactor in a Motion Picture – Drama Category for his performance in THEDESCENDANTS (That which I have not yet seen; hence I would not pass anyverdict) however my personal favorite of the evening is indeed The Manof the Year Ryan Gosling. Both who put up a magnificent, precise andconvincing performances alongside with Paul Giamatti and Philip SeymourHoffman in THE IDES OF MARCH and that alone will for certain make it aworthy contender at the Oscars come Feb 26th 2012. The nominations arealready out and rest assured there are multiple holdings on THE IDES OFMARCH. Isn't this alone good enough a reason to consider this a mustwatch? There is always a negative vibe that the audiences receive whenyou say that it's a Drama. Most would feel it isn't the best of ways tospend the weekend or your money for that matter. Then there is thefemale audience who always would rightly prefer to turn their heads ifit has anything to do with politics. So how do you sell such aproduction? Timing is vital. The Screen play for THE IDES OF MARCH wasinitially done in the year 2008 and with the win of President Obama tothe white house the appeal for such a distrustful themed movie wouldnot have sold well with all the celebration of the change that arrivedto America. It is after all called the filming industry and where thereisn't money there indeed isn't hope. Now at a time with electionsaround the corner is the time they have decided to bring this to thetheatres. Smart isn't it?Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) and Senator Pullman (MichaelMantell) both with the potential of being the next presidentialcandidate are fair players. The kind of individual one would prefer tolead the nation. Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman) campaign manager toMayor Morris and Duffy (Paul Giamatti) campaign manager to the senatorhave their own game of dirty politics planned out. Hoffman and Giamattiare shrewd and evil. This is some sharp characterization by thedirector and the actors themselves. There isn't much of build in thecharacters as much as there is an outburst of corruption in them. Theydo not begin as fair players in the trade, the stand out as the bestand definitely the finest in what they do; this certainly explains whythey got the job with the top dogs. Stephen (Ryan Gosling) on the otherhand is a newbie by age and looks considering the wrinkles the majors'sport. He isn't as much of a newbie as much as he is a game winner. Ifhe believes in the cause he will fight till the end. Sounds a prettyscarce breed in the arena of politics of today! Ryan Gosling is indeed the movie. He is there from the beginningthrough till the end. In every single frame if I am not mistaken. Itdisheartens me that he missed out at the Golden Globes. Maybe an Oscarperhaps? Ryan's character of Stephen undergoes large magnitudes ofturmoil in the presidential trail. He sports frustration, lust,confusion, betrayal and being betrayed. Stephen grows through the 101minutes of playtime. If he grows into a better or a worse directionisn't that much of a hard choice to make. Yet when you consider thegame of politics at times the direction he chooses seems always theonly option.Most certainly a movie that will take down George Clooney and RyanGosling into the big leagues of Director and the next promising legendin Hollywood!Title: The Ides of March Directed by : George Clooney Starring: GeorgeClooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Paul Giamatti Rated: Rfor pervasive language Rating: 08/10 101 Minutes

judy

(2012-04-10 16:17:50)

Noise signifying nothing

I went into this movie with great expectations; too bad. Ides of Marchis noise signifying nothing. I expected more from George Clooney.Hollywood likes Ryan Gossling. He'd better hope that they don't startto like him too much because when they do they start to put you ingarbage like this. Ides of March should have been a great politicalthriller, but instead we get a predictable movie that telegraphs all ofits intentions and leaves you empty. I guess George has become cynicalabout politics and I guess I can't blame him based on the currentsituation. I guess I can understand why more people haven't flocked tothis movie. My husband fell asleep on the first half and I was angryafter the second half. The movie should have left you with something tothink about like Michael Clayton but it didn't; too bad.

Biggest_Loser

(2012-04-02 14:33:03)

Towards its script and its design, this is a very delicately made film

Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) is a campaign manager for Democraticpresidential candidate Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney). He isextremely optimistic about Morris' progressive values and says that hewill support anything as long as he believes it. Stephen is employedunder the watch of Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who values loyaltymost and is precariously trying to sway a senator (Jeffrey Wright) forhis support so that they can take the crucial state of Ohio. Frictionarises when Stephen has talks with rival democrat campaigner Tom Duffy(Paul Giamatti), who wants to hire him and promote his own candidate.This meeting is somehow traced by a hungry reporter in Ida (MarisaTomei). Meanwhile, Stephen becomes loosely involved with Molly (EvanRachel Wood), who is also hiding something. Despite the enormity of the cast, The Ides of March is a modestlyproduced and tautly written political thriller. It throws us into thedeep end of American politics and for outsiders this can be daunting.This is because much of the dialogue in the film, though occasionallywitty and funny, is also highly loaded. It is essential to read betweenthe lines here and that leaves us on the outskirts from many of theseambiguous characters. The detail placed on single lines of dialogueremains purposeful and requires our full attention. When Stephen askshow old a character is there are more subtle implications as they sussand test each other out. Accurately, it reminds us of how cautiouslypeople in this domain have to tread in both their public and privatelives. The battle is here not fought between conflicting parties ofopposition but the single regime of the Democrats. It is ironic to seesuch infighting because we know they will present a united front to thepublic come the Presidential election. The facade of the characters isreflected through the film's subtle aesthetic design. Many scenes, suchas the opening in a hall and a late confrontation in a restaurant, arecast in deep shadows. It gives the film and the characters a classicnoir feel of mistrust and uncertainty. Contrastingly, day time scenesare photographed down long, cold brick corridors or behind panes ofglass, contributing a sense of a highly isolated work environment.Towards its script and its design, this is a very delicately made film.Although the start of the film is distancing and cold, a clever twistin the plot sees the narrative hit its straps. From this point the filmbecomes deeply entrenched with human power plays of loyalty, friendshipand expendability. Due to the flawless casting and performances many ofthe intense confrontations, particularly late in the film, are of thehighest order. Gosling has proved that this year that he has the rangeto not only play any type of role but to sustain his work at such aconsistently high and entertaining level. He's exceptional again, withhis role closer to the one he played in Half Nelson, as a man who isgradually deteriorating from the inside out. As Stephen's statusgradually declines, the apparentness of his fear makes the performancehuman and compelling. Clooney again finds a way to tap into his owncelebrity image because beneath the smiles and sincerity of hischaracter is someone dark and entirely ruthless. The force in both oftheir performances peaks during a riveting showdown that reachespalpable levels of tension. Giamatti and Hoffman are in fine touch butEvan Rachel Wood holds her own too as the most vulnerable kind ofdamsel in distress. Closing the film is an ending that is partShakespearean tragedy, hence the title taken from "Julius Caesar", butalso Faust as well. It does not reach a high emotional peak but it'sstill a straight reminder of how quickly people are willing to selltheir own moral and ethical values. We already knew that and it willnot change the world but as long as cinema returns to a mature state ofreminding us of the failure of human nature, like it does here, we'rehappy.

Michael_Elliott

(2012-04-02 10:33:18)

Wonderful Performances Carry Familiar Story

Ides of March, The (2011)*** 1/2 (out of 4) Extremely well-made political drama bout press secretary Stephen Meyers(Ryan Gosling) who has a little over a week before the election andhe's trying to win Ohio for Gov. Mike Morris (George Clooney). Aftermaking the mistake of meeting with the opponents campaign manager,Stephen is forced into a web of lies and cover-up, which were thethings he vowed never to do. THE IDES OF MARCH contains some brilliantacting, a good story that carry us through and there's no question thatClooney knows how to handle a film. With that said, the film stillfalls a tad bit short of being a great movie and I think the reason isquite simple. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose of the filmmakeror not but there's just nothing here that really explodes in terms ofdrama. In other words, the film is extremely good at everything it doesbut it seems to have been made about twenty-years too late. I'm surethe story of dirty politics would have been a little more dramaticyears ago but in today's day and age all the "dirty" stuff we're seeinghere isn't shocking and you really just keep telling yourself that youknew this type of stuff happened. There's just nothing here that makesthe material seem fresh or groundbreaking no matter how well made itis. With that said, there's no question people are going to have a verygood time watching this film and thanks in large part to the terrificcast. Gosling turns in another winning performance as the rather naiveperson who finds himself doing things he said he wouldn't. You haveClooney being all polished up and delivering a strong supporting role.I won't give away the twist that leads these two actors to one finalshowdown but it's certainly one of the more memorable moments of catand mouse. We also get the always dependable Paul Giamatti and PhilipSeymour Hoffman doing great work and Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Woodround out the cast. A lot of times these all-star films have you losingfocus on the story because of all the stars coming in and out but thatdoesn't happen here as all of them really fit their parts and make youforget that you're watching actors. Clooney's style is very laid back,which is exactly what the story needed and there's no flashycamera-work or editing. You can tell that Clooney is an actor'sdirector and that certainly fits this film. The film really plays allits cards down the middle as it appears to just want to show you whatit's like in the final days before an election. The movie willcertainly keep you entertained from start to finish but the fireworksreally start to happen in the final twenty-minutes when we're hit withone twist after another. I doubt anyone will be shocked at the twistsor won't see them coming but the performers just take the material andraise it many levels. THE IDES OF MARCH might not be the masterpieceeveryone was hoping for but it's certainly much better than themajority of pictures out there right now.

iamover

(2012-03-25 08:17:38)

Great acting - mediocre plot

This was a bit of a letdown. Some of my favorite actors were in this -and they did do a fine job - however, the plot was somewhatuninspiring, the twists (and I'm being generous by using the wordtwist) were only minimally surprising. One of the actors (Marisa Tomei)really was in a "nothing" role - a waste of her talents.So... If you want to see a movie with fine acting and want to focus onthe actors without being distracted by getting caught up in anenjoyable movie, this is the one for you! Most of the time, afterwatching a good movie, one likes to spend time discussing the plottwists, hidden meanings, etc. - But I'm pretty sure that won't be thecase for this one. You'll want to spend more time critiquing thepopcorn than this lukewarm effort.

davidgee

(2012-03-24 21:22:52)

A Monica Lewinsky moment

There's less to this movie than meets the eye. What mainly meets (andgladdens!) the eye is gorgeous George Clooney playing a charismaticJohn Kennedy-ish governor running for the Democratic nomination in thenear-future Presidential primaries. Co-managing his campaign withhardened cynic Philip Seymour Hoffman is idealistic young Ryan Gosling.Governor Clooney is running on a "make-America-greener/no-more-war"ticket that almost invites the cinema audience to cheer along with theon-screen listeners.But - surprise, surprise - the Governor turns out to have feet of clay.There is - oh, no - a 'Monica Lewinsky' moment (offscreen). Young Ryan(he's meant to be 30 but looks about 22) is being wooed by George'sopponent and must decide what to do with the nugget of dirt he now hason the Governor.We have been here before. A tarnished idol in the race for high office.Notable examples include ADVISE AND CONSENT, THE BEST MAN and severalyears of THE WEST WING on TV (Jed Bartlett, the best president Americanever had). THE IDES OF MARCH is adapted from a stage play and stillfeels very theatrical. Clooney co-wrote and directed it. The lightingis especially fine: lots of face-to-face scenes in dim corridors. Andthe acting is first class. Clooney will have an easier time of it thanRonnie Reagan if he ever does make a run for the White House. RyanGosling seems competent but a tad bland; will he be as charismatic asGeorge in years to come? (Probably not, but you never know: look at TomCruise.)This is a slick piece of movie-making; more style than substance buthighly watchable. The will he?/won't he? ending is extremelysatisfying. In the real world you know exactly how this would play out,but the movie targets our higher aspirations (and then, as in the realworld, pisses all over them).

philthegreatone-786-63058

(2012-03-22 06:45:39)

Great political drama

Steven Meyer played by Ryan Gosling is working on a campaign for MikeMorris played by George Clooney, to be the next president of the UnitedStates. He gets a real wake up call in they way politics works when hetalks to a rival Tom Duffy played by Paul Giamatti. The great PhilipSeymour Hoffman plays Paul Zara, his boss and Steven admits to his bossthat he spoke to the rival. This then leads to a huge mess. The film isdirected, written and starring Clooney. Clooney knows how to direct hisactors being an actor himself of course. He also collaborated on thescreenplay. He also doesn't take the starring role and gives it toGosling which I think was a good decision. Because Gosling is a youngand up and coming actor and the character is a young up and comer aswell. Gosling plays the role very well, he is good looking, he reallytakes on great actors like Clooney and Hoffman in some great one on onescenes. Marisa Tomei also plays a tough reporter trying to screw overGosling. This is a great political drama and well worth seeing. Ienjoyed it and recommend it to fans of political dramas.

Amy Adler

(2012-03-21 16:02:41)

I'd suggest you see Ides, film buffs; although more of a triple than a home run, the cast is superlative and the direction very fine

Stephen (Ryan Gosling) is a razor-sharp, rising star political mediaconsultant. Presently, he is working on Pennsylvania Governor MikeMorris' (George Clooney) campaign for the Democratic presidentialnomination. Steve-o has only one man above him, overall campaignmanager Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The two consult each otherdaily. The governor has a single chief competitor, an Arkansas senatorwith his own astute adviser, Tom (Paul Giamatti). At the moment, theOhio primary is looming and the staff is working out of Cincinnati. Oneof the governor's lower-level workers is beautiful Molly (Evan RachelWood), the daughter of the present head of the National DemocraticParty. Only 20, she is just learning the ropes. One day, she makes apass at Stephen and he responds positively. But, he makes it clear toher that politics is his passion and, especially, Mike Morris, hisidol. Indeed, Morris is handsome, smart, and appears to speak sincerelyand clearly to potential voters. Yet, very soon after their firstencounter, Molly drops a bombshell on Stephen. It is a stunning pieceof news, one that could knock the earth off its axis. Also, amazingly,Tom has been courting Stephen to "switch sides" while a respected,determined journalist, Ida (Marisa Tomei) is eager for any and allcampaign stories. A cauldron of conflicting genuine and perceivedrealities is brewing. What will be the result? This is a fine film,based on a stage play, and directed by Mr. Clooney. While the story ismore predictable in nature, the script has some great lines andClooney's direction is quite, quite admirable. This is particularlytrue of the performances he draws from the cast, with Gosling, Hoffman,Giamatti, Tomei, Clooney himself, and especially Wood giving greatturns. All the film's amenities, from sets, costumes, and camera work,are also nice. If you are a discriminating film buff, who loves qualityflicks with ample discussion points, then I'd suggest you see Ides atyour earliest convenience.

Gaston Bacquet

(2012-03-19 04:45:09)

Worth it, but funny aftertaste....

It's difficult to write a review about this film. It's so full ofcontradictions (artistic and otherwise) that it leaves you with a funnyaftertaste. The film is about an idealistic young man working as aconsultant for a campaigning politician and the conflicts anddichotomies he has to face if he wants to remain whole and with hisintegrity unbroken. Purely from the filmmaking standpoint, the moviewill remind you of political thrillers of the 70s made by Alan J.Pakula or Sydney Pollack. It's beautifully shot, has a great and veryad-hoc music score, very good performances by everyone involved. Theway the story and main character evolved, however, lacked coherence andat one point I was under the impression I was watching a fragment of adifferent movie. Somehow it went from A to D, skipping B and Caltogether. That alone changed my viewing experience from fullysatisfying to one that, as I said at the beginning, left a funnyaftertaste. The movie is more of a character study than a politicalthriller per se; as the former, it works mainly because of theperformances by actors who are able to convey the inner conflicts theyface. As the latter, don't expect to be taken aback with unpredictabletwists or edge-of-your-seat suspense, because you won't find thosehere. I give it a 7/10.

alexandros-15

(2012-03-18 21:04:14)

An entertaining spot on political thriller

A captivating movie. A realistic political thriller with greatcharacters, fast pace, twists and all making it quite an absorbingHollywood movie. Top performance by Ryan Gosling, less brilliantperformance this time by the otherwise great George Clooney. A damning verdict for Obama. A reflection of American liberalsdisillusionment with Obama and an 'Ides of March' warning for the nextelections. The message is rather clear: You are not that differentafter all, you have disappointed us and you are loosing those whoreally believed in you and thought you could be different.In short, an entertaining spot on political thriller.