Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Directors: George Clooney, Crosscreek Pictures, MA, 101 Minutes.
This gem of a political drama has no relevance to Julius Caesar’s last days in March but instead provides an intriguing insight into the machinations of American politics, focusing on presidential aspirant Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney – ‘Gravity’).
Morris is hopeful of winning the looming Ohio Primary election in March under the direction of his campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman – ‘Doubt’) and media manipulator Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling – ‘Gangster Squad’).
In actual fact it is Gosling playing the lead character of Myers while Clooney directs and takes on the supporting role as presidential candidate Morris.
But the story really revolves around Myers’ naïve actions and interactions; initially, a meeting with his opponent’s campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti – ‘Saving Mr Banks’) at which Myers is asked to join Duffy’s team that later leaves his career in tatters.
Myers later makes the apparent mistake of getting intimately involved with attractive intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood – ‘Charlie Countryman’) only to discover that she has had a sexual liaison with Morris resulting in an unwanted pregnancy.
In deciding to help Molly with her predicament Myers uses this to his political advantage, changing his ideals in pursuit of revenge and success by forcing Morris to replace Zara with himself as his campaign manager.
Clooney has cleverly crafted his political story around certain possible scenarios that can have an impact on past and current presidential hopefuls in particular showing the ruthless political games that can be played by both sides of politics.
This is the approach Clooney believes should be taken in order to achieve the ultimate prize of becoming President.
To complement his absorbing storyline Clooney has assembled a cast of celebrated actors such as Gosling, Hoffman, Giamatti and Wood to portray the major characters and, in addition to Clooney himself playing the perfect role of presidential hopeful Morris, there is Marisa Tomei as the reporter as well as Jeffrey Wright portraying the Senator.
With such convincing performances-especially from Gosling, it is left to those watching this Shakespearean like storyline to ponder Myers’ reflective stance in the concluding scenes in this enthralling political thriller.
The Ides of March is being televised on SBS World Movies at 7.35pm on Thursday 24 June.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 Stars
