Film Review: Ides of March

Director: George Clooney

With the help of Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, George Clooney wrote the screenplay and directed The Ides of March. A political drama about a candidate running for the Democratic presidential candidate in the upcoming American election. The film is adapted from the acclaimed play Farragut North by Beau Willimon. With an ensemble cast comprising of George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Phillip Seymour-Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood. To add to the mix you have Leonardo di Caprio involved as a producer as well.

George Clooney as Mike Morris, Demorcatic presidential candidate and Ryan Gosling as Stephen Meyers, junior campaign manager

The film follows Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling on top form again) who is the junior campaign manager for Mike Morris (George Clooney). Morris is the governor of Pennsylvania and is running for the Democratic presidential candidate against Ted Pullman (Michael Mantell) so are busy gathering support in the party especially from Senator Franklin Thompson who controls 356 convention delegates so could decide the race. Meyers start a relationship with intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) who is the daughter of the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As the race continues things within the campaign become murkier as Meyers realises that Morris is trying to contact Molly on her mobile.

The Ides of March is a bleak and cynical look at the world of politics where information is power and trust is key. We see what campaign managers and presidential candidates will do to win votes and elections, whether that be covering up scandals or undermining the trust of key team members from the opposing campaign. Stephen Meyers is the young idealistic campaign manager who sees himself running a presidential election campaign in the future is slowly turned sour as he witnesses and then becomes part of the blackmail and lies that come with a political campaign.

Phillip Seymour-Hoffman as Paul Zara, Morris' campaign manager with Stephen Meyers

Clooney's character is more of a background figure in a semi-cameo role; the film is about Meyers and his naivety to the world of politics. In essence it's a crash course in politics for Meyers and the viewer as many non-American viewers will be unaware of the process in choosing presidential candidates.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the experienced campaign manager, who has seen and been through it all before, and knows how the system works from top to bottom. Even when there isn't scandal and back-stabbing in the air, Morris is forced to decide whether his morals that he set out at the start are worth sacrificing for a near cast-iron guarantee of winning the campaign. The moral of the film is that nobody's hands are clean.

If you were sceptical about politics in general before this movie, you will certainly have no faith in it afterwards.

3.5/4 sometimes more like a play but enthralling at times and superbly acted