Reviews
The Ides Of March review
October 28 2011
Gosling. Hoffman. Giamatti. Clooney. Welcome to big school.
Having made just four films since being Oscar-nominated for his tremendous performance as a junkie school teacher in 2006 drama Half Nelson, Ryan Gosling is now hitting the big-screen three times inside two months. But where you get the feeling that the visceral cool of Drive and the playboy jokiness of Crazy, Stupid, Love. aren’t big stretches for the 30-year-old heartthrob, The Ides of March is the real deal.
Chewing over ever-apt American themes of busted idealism, corruption, trust, betrayal and power, writer/director George Clooney’s superb ensemble political drama takes its name from the day that Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by those closest to him. Co-written with regular screenwriter Grant Heslov, it’s a big-screen adaptation of Beau Willimon’s play ‘Farragut North’, based on Willimon’s time as an aide during the failed 2004 presidential bid of US politician Howard Dean.
Back in the director’s chair for the fourth time, it’s Clooney himself who steps up as oh-so-groomed presidential wannabe Mike Morris. But Gosling’s Stephen Myers is the man behind the man: the campaign whiz kid whose super-smart spin and speech-writing will get Morris to the White House. “Nothing bad happens when you’re doing the right thing,” says Myers – fatefully, as it turns out.
This is Clooney returning to Good Night, and Good Luck’s high-risk atmosphere and absorbing immediacy – the kind of cinema where men talking in rooms becomes gripping drama. Injecting a stagy setup with agility and urgency, the vibe feels less like the Gatling gun wit of The West Wing and more like The Wire’s poisonous political subplot.
And so it goes. Myers finds his charisma fizzling out, his naivety exposed and his idealism splintered as Morris’ campaign evolves into a trench-war of wits played by older, wiser, tougher men. In a series of pressure-cooker confrontations you can’t take your eyes off, Gosling goes head-to-head against the big boys. As the senior wingman on Morris’ team, Philip Seymour Hoffman brings another frighteningly powerful performance. Up against them, Paul Giamatti’s rival campaign manager cranks down his intensity for a cunning, compulsive turn that complements Hoffman’s perfectly.
Given an intelligent script and space to flex it, Clooney’s cast keeps the drama powering forward through deeper, darker shades. As a frisky intern at the heart of the drama, Evan Rachel Wood reminds us why she’s one of Hollywood’s most interesting if underused young actresses. While Marisa Tomei’s spiky turn as a journalist makes a refreshing change from seeing her set up and laid flat for a funny-faced male co-star (see: The Wrestler, Cyrus, Crazy, Stupid, Love.).
And Gosling? It’s his best – and most interesting – performance since Half Nelson. As ideals and integrity slowly slip from his grasp, he convincingly dismantles Myers from cocksure swagger to disillusionment to hardened acceptance. The Ides of March completes a whirlwind journey from periphery player to star to serious actor. This is his year.
Anticipation:
Enjoyment:
In Retrospect:
The Ides Of March (text) by Jonathan Crocker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Incredibly Crafted,Stylish Film, Condensed,Insightful, without being cerebral, thrilling without being a Thriller,Ironic,Perverse, especially on its Use of the word INTEGRITY! HA! What a Joy!
George Clooney never was my real favorite, but I must say that,besides having become lately sort of a new Cary Grant as a Performer, he is actually, and more Importantly, showing Serious Film Directing Skills(Good Night and Good Luck was a little masterpiece, and consider that it was Clooney's First Directed movie!): in a sad,desolated Hollywood and Off Hollywood Land, Where the piercing lack of real Directors, who are not World's Imports(and, i mean, not only 'Personal Directors', but also 'Personal Directors' able to Deliver extremely Entertaining and very Important Films at the Same time) Clooney is truly emerging as one of the most reliable ones. Forget the Cohen Brothers!
Well,personally, never cared for those guys that much, if anyone, I love and always will, the great P.T. Anderson.
Here, we do not have a constricted, formulaic narration trying to make sensationalism, while being shot with an underground style of cliches', just to remind us,that there's still(fake) independent Spirit!
Here, we've got the real Deal. A Film that can be compared easily to the best Sidney Lumet,or Pakula.
Tight,Strong, Haunting.
Written by DomizianoA on October 28th, 2011 at 20:17
And, I truly Hope Gosling Keeps on going this way. I would not want him to become another Johnny Depp-with all the Respect,don't get me Wrong,here!- (who used to be my favorite actor, and in some ways, Still is, but, After such an Amazing Start,he's been making disastrous, if popular films, for over a decade,Now,Giving his great Art to the pigs,to the Point of Giving me,instead,some Suspects of a Certain Dissatisfaction with the Biz,in general..) or Robert De Niro, whom, after real Excellence,like 'The Godfather',Bertolucci's'1900','The last Tycoon',"Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull", sort of sold out lately to mediocre,formulaic Hollywood fare with fat paychecks,attached, or even Faye Dunaway, and many more.
When you go back to the careers of Certain people who may not always Be as Popular as Jesus, but still Iconic enough to have Legions of Fans and Cult Appeal over decades&decades (think to Garbo,Chaplin,Dean,or Monroe,too: How Many movies did they make? But,again if They were few, They are Certainly those Kind of Movies that Mattered,Gaining in fact Popularity throughout the Years,and Never Got Forgotten!),You realize how important it is to measure the presence on screen, and,if at that level,How it is almost a 'Must' to Say No to anything,unless, not quite Close to Extraordinary or,at least, Challenging and Innovative,Ground breaking.
That's my take!
As much as I love Gosling, and as much I love his Performance in 'The Ides of March', i'm just Hoping that 'Crazy,Stupid,Love' was just a' brief accident' in what's been a much more deep and selected Career so far, who brought him now to the Highest notoriety, with Ides of March, another great Film,that happens to be so Great, to Confuse its real Origin: a smaller Political Drama,like initially, even 'Citizen Kane' appeared to be! lol
I took a look at Gosling's future film projects and Thank God, they all seem on the line of Blue Valentine or Ides of March: Clever,Refined Projects destined to haunt audiences for decades ahead, and not just for a weekend!
I'll be honest: I remember 'Half Nelson' or 'Lars' so well, i could go on to a quite detailed description and review right now,after many Years, While still feeling Deeply Haunted by Those,as well as,' The Believer',too, for example,which i saw over 10 years ago, and Ryan was already Gosling!
But, i saw 'Crazy,Stupid Love' last August, and I cannot remember one thing,already, besides, maybe Ryan's Abs! lol
Back to The Ides, great Film,Clooney hopefully to become the new Lumet, and I agree, extremely impeccable,divine, supporting cast(Seymour Hoffman,Giamatti,and the- and I Agree on this fully!- Underused,or Badly Abused-by horrific films- luminous and talented beauty, Evan Rachel Wood!).
I'd like to Praise especially Grant Heslov, a normally excellent screen writer, and every other technical Department of The Ides,as well.
However,its success, Belongs to Clooney(as a Director) and to Gosling, as a real Iconic Star,and .. at barely 30!
Do not miss this one!
Written by DomizianoA on October 28th, 2011 at 20:22
My always favorite Ryan Gosling excels as usual. I do not agree with Mr. Crocker depicting Gosling like a "periphery player",and an art house film actor until this,though!
If it is True that Ryan is Shining this year, it is also true that he's got to this Point, thanks to incredible films like Sundance's winner 'The Believer'(2001), and the compelling 'The United States of Leland',Becoming a wildly recognizable Star, back in 2003, with both 'Murders by Numbers' and 'The Notebook',other two very Good&Popular movies, and while at that point, he could have already taken on Anything they were Offering Him(Truly a Lot!) and gotten Himself $old into big blockbusters,While Sadly mining, what is becoming an exceptional& unique career(Paul Newman?),He rightly choose instead the Hard way, Going for Films made often with very small Budgets,but much Clever Minds, like the Excellent "Half Nelson" or "Lars and the Real Girl" up to the extraordinary,realistic(For me,almost to a Nouvelle Vague/British Free Cinema's -of 1960's- Level) film, that Happened to be, last Year's intense,memorable "Blue Valentine". I understand Mr. Crocker's high praise of those films,as much as i do, but I would not consider Those Features, 'minor fare', just because they were not 100million dollars films. He was still nominated for Oscars,and every other virtually possible Award, for all of them, Imposing Himself as a Star of the Highest Class, I believe,and Deliberately, Not wanting to Become like the 'Commercial Commodity' available for Studios' use, like most of the guys of his generation seem to all be Falling into,without, in fact, seemingly not holding up very Well,like a couple of Super Heroes, or CGI's Adventure, Kolossal and Boring 'Thrillers'..
I See in him the Talent,and the Cleverness,that Stronger 'Star Power' of People like Julie Christie,or a Young Beatty, and Nicholson,Terence Stamp,Daniel Day Lewis,Albert Finney, Peter Finch, Jane Fonda,Dirk Bogarde, or even,of a Brando,a George C. Scott, a Monty Clift, whom, All could have gone immediately for the Big Commercial Vehicles,so Available to them, But All,with Different Paths, Decided against Those, Picking up instead(While Often taking their Time..to do that,as well!) Only,Rigorous, extremely Selected,Unique Films,with only great Directors attached, that,on the longer Run, made of those People, not only Icons, but also, Extremely long lasting, Exceptional Actors, with a much more Clever Pedigree of Film Credits, Always Highly Respected, and, Ultimately,Prestigious Titles Defining a Certain Time of the Arts and Culture,and Social or Political History.
Truly Unforgettable Films,on the longer Run, than those made by Matinee Idols,Highly Publicized by the Media's, and then, equally Dropped, as fast as Hot Potatoes,just at the Sight, of some Hotter Newcomer!
Written by DomizianoA on October 28th, 2011 at 21:20
I thought that Clooney's performance was notably absent against such solid performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Ryan Gosling. I think the strain of starring and directing definitely showed here as (if we're honest with ourselves) there was nothing particularly astonishing about his portrayal of Morris. The corrupt politician is such a familiar archetype that he really needed to do a bit more…
Written by Mary Clare W on November 29th, 2011 at 13:38