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The Ides of March Movie

Genres are Dr Produced in 2011, USA

The Ides of March

Actors
Paul Giamatti
Jeffrey Wright
Evan Rachel Wood
Marisa Tomei
Philip Seymour Hoffman
George Clooney
Jennifer Ehle
 

Director

IMDB Rating
George Clooney 7.4 out of 10 (36323 votes)
 

Year

2011
 

Available Quality

DivX
 
576x240 700 MiB

Storyline

Plot Summary:

An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.

Movie Photo

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Gordon-11

12 May 2012

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".

Marcus Lundqvist

11 May 2012

A great movie with a plot that gets more thickened as the story goes on


Before I saw The Ides of March I read some of the reviews of thismovie. One thing that almost every single one of the reviewersmentioned was that the movie started of great, but then nothing reallyhappened. My opinion is the exact opposite. In the beginning of themovie it's just a plantation of what the movie will be about. You getintroduced to the characters of the movie and after about 20-30minutes, the snowball begins to roll. I thought that the movie was a great film, filled with an intensethrill. And whether you think that the movie is going slow, or thatit's exciting to watch, you'd still be wondering "how's it going toend?" But, I think that you have to be concentrated while watching thisfilm. I'm not saying that you should be glued to your TV or Computer,but in order to experience the intensity in this film you'll have tostay focused on the plot. I also read the trivia to this film and saw that Philip Seymour Hoffmanreplaced Brad Pitt in the role of Paul. I'm grateful for that, since itfeels like a typical Hoffman-roll. And he's amazing in this movie. RyanGosling does one of his finest appearances. And George Clooney, well,he's always going to be George Clooney and at this point at his careerit's kind of hard watching him play a roll without thinking "That'sGeorge Clooney". If you're in to thrillers about corruption, andethical questions about what is right and what is wrong, this i moviethat you will appreciate.

Michael_Elliott

06 May 2012

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.

chaz-28

05 May 2012

George Clooney directs a fascinating political thriller; Do the right thing or get your candidate elected?


Physically compare experienced political operatives with their interns.More than wrinkled faces and less hair up top separates them. Theinterns still have fresh ideals and expectations of the candidates theychoose to support; the experienced staffers know better. There was apoint on a campaign in their past where their own ideals took a leftturn; a point where reality jumped up and showed them no candidate isperfect and a time when it became less about the future of tomorrow andmore about just beating the other guy.Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) is at the intersection. He is the numbertwo on Governor Mike Morris's (George Clooney) presidential campaign.He not only shares the Governor's political platform, but believes inthe man himself. It is not the hero worship of the interns hesupervises, but it is not the same almost numb feeling the number onecampaign managers sometimes show. Stephen's boss and the Governor'smain guy is Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He is on board becausehe shares in the political faith, but he knows more and it shows. Hisshoulders are hunched, he smokes too much, and he believes in loyaltyto the candidate even more than he believes in his own mother.The Governor is towards the end of a tight Democratic primary and thereis only one more candidate between him and the general election, onewhich will most likely favor the Democrat in the race. The campaign hasstopped for the week in Ohio which is fast becoming a make or breakprimary state. Stephen and Paul are expertly drafting speeches,maneuvering the candidate where he needs to be, and cozying up to theNew York Times political reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) for somefavorable coverage. The other candidate is also in town though and hehas his own political attack dog in Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti). Tomknows the real deal just as much as Paul and sees in Stephen what theyall used to be, smart and talented, yet still a bit wide-eyed.Speeches are made, debates are contested, and each side is courtingvarious political kingmakers. Every time it comes down to Stephen tomake a decision, it becomes more and more a matter of what is right orwhat will get my candidate elected. What if you do the right thing butit causes your candidate to fall in the polls? What if you compromiseyour values and it gives your team the boost it needs to clear thatlast hurdle? Stephen has some tough choices to make and what The Idesof March really comes down to is will Stephen the individual still bethe same somewhat fresh idealist he was at the beginning of the week?The Ides of March has a serious and tight screenplay and it matchedthose characters from the page with tried and true heavy hitters. RyanGosling is fast becoming one of Hollywood's premier true actors buteven he loses the screen to the fascinating performances of Hoffman,Giamatti, and Tomei. These guys must tire of waiting around for thatperfect script to come along because when it does, they are usuallyfirst in line to give it what they've got, and in The Ides of March,these three knock it out of the park. Gosling and Clooney are noslouches and must carry a lot of the film, but their roles are not asjuicy as the supporting cast. Evan Rachel Wood also shines as acampaign intern.The Ides of March opened this year's Venice Film Festival and won itsBrian Prize, the first American film to do so. The Brian Prizechampions the values of rationality, human rights, expression, etc… andit must have been an easy choice. Scripts like this one do not comearound once a week. True actors such as Hoffman, Giamatti, and Tomeirarely latch on to roles in the same film where they each havein-depth, staggering monologues. When one of them gets going, theycould go on the same spiel for minutes on end with hardly aninterruption. The choices people make really can change them as anindividual. Do you choose the right thing every time or is the end allthat matters no matter what the means?

jungophile

03 May 2012

The paucity of the left/right paradigm is not much basis for an intriguing film


I'll keep this short and sweet. Don't bother with "Ides of March"unless you're a Gosling fan who has to see everything he's in; it'sjust not worth what they're charging these days at the theaters.I'll admit my expectations were high with the star firepower ofGosling, Clooney, and Hoffman all in one film, which, of course, led toinevitable disappointment. While I fidgeted in my seat, I kept beingdrawn back to my experience of seeing "Primary Colors" and the badtaste that silly film left in my mouth. Here we are in 2011 with dozensof cities being occupied as I type this, with thousands ofdisenfranchised Americans sleeping on cardboard in wet, chilly weather,and we're supposed to enjoy being told for 100 + minutes how corruptour electoral system is? Bad timing, George.But beyond this cognitive disjunction is a starker problem: how allthese characters with their obsession with poll numbers, or what RachelMaddow and Chris Matthews are saying on cable shows that generallyaverage much less viewership than talk radio has listeners--we all knowit's the Emperor's New Clothes mind control. Corporate media is as deadas the two party, left/right paradigm BS that Americans have finallyawoken to. It's difficult to willingly disbelieve otherwise in order to conyourself into liking this movie, and so Clooney tries to milk all thedramatic tension in "The Ides of March" around the repercussions ofsexual politics. Thanks to the skill of the acting, this ploy almostworks, but not quite because you can't help disliking or even hatingthese characters for choosing to waste their lives pushing thispropaganda paradigm down our throats every four years.So I will slip on my Guy Fawkes mask now, taking on my role as"Anonymous," and beg you to skip this movie. It's a better movie than"Primary Colors," but that's not saying much. If you must see it forthe acting, wait until Thanksgiving and get it off a torrent site.

ShelbyTMItchell

02 May 2012

Great Acting and Writing!


Ryan Gosling plays an idealistic staffer who sees the dirty politicsinvolved. As he works for a Pa Democratic Governor, George Clooney whoalso directs the film. As Clooney who's character is a married mancheats on his wife behind her back. And he is the Pa Governor.Noticed the way that the character's signs of the Presidential raceare. As that was also the sign and trademark for Obama. Gosling is forced to downplay the scandal. Before the candidate'sopponent and nemesis tries to make it go from bad to worse. As that iswhere Gosling comes on in at.The great Paul Giamatti is the main head for the opponent. Who wants todig the dirt on Clooney's private life. In order to spoil Clooney'schances at running for President for the Democrats.Both sides play Machiavellian and try the best to one up one another.With Gosling's character stuck in the middle of it all. It is moreabout trust and loyalty. As Gosling and a 20-year old interim playedby, Evan Rachel Wood is the daughter of the DNC head. Get involved overit all. As it goes downhill from there.Not just on a political basis but on a personal one. About trying toone up one another and get ahead. Which is involved in all politicalcampaigns no matter what party, GOP, Democrat, Independent, etc are.Not the first nor will it be the last time this has been seen. Both inthe REEL and REAL world!Really great acting and writing. Despite a lot of cursing in it. Still,you would love a film that plays politics and trying to show loyaltyand trust between a candidate. While being caught in the middle of awould be political scandal.

brocksilvey

27 April 2012

Did We Need a Movie to Tell Us That Politics Is a Corrupt Business?


This limp political thriller stars Ryan Gosling as a wunderkindcampaign director who suffers a dark night of the soul when he learnssome unsavory things about the candidate to whom he's devoted his life(George Clooney) and ends up as cynical and jaded as the very system hechooses to believe doesn't have to exist.That someone could be so brilliant at engineering campaigns while beingso seemingly ignorant of the devious machinations behind them doesn'tmake any sense at all, and that more than anything is the biggest flawat the heart of "The Ides of March." Gosling's character isn'tconsistent, and Gosling, though a fine actor, can't do much with therole. Clooney, taking a refreshing break from his hang-dog likablenice-guy roles, is much more fun as our villain, but he's not in themovie very much. And it's surprising to me that someone who in hispersonal life seems as politically astute and involved as Clooney wouldchoose to make a movie (he also directed and co-wrote it) that appearsto think it's the height of profundity to tell us that the politicalsystem is corrupt. Is there anyone on Earth who doesn't already knowthat? What could have sizzled instead lands with a thud.Grade: C+

TheUnknown837-1

26 April 2012

Mr. Clooney's new picture is proof that the movies can redeem even the most dull and uninteresting of subject matter


George Clooney plays a central supporting role in "The Ides of March"but his most important contribution to the picture is what he doesstanding behind the camera. From Beau Willimon's play "Farragut North"he, Mr. Willimon, and Grant Heslov have fashioned a picture that standsseveral tiers above what I was expecting of it. It is proof, as far asI am concerned, that the old theory that the movies can redeem anysubject matter for any viewer is hard and solid as concrete.I am not the biggest fan of politics. For me, it's always been sort ofa sophomoric mudslinging match between well-tailored stiffs with verylittle really being accomplished, or even attempted to be accomplishedin-between. Politics has been annoying whenever it's not just plaindull for this viewer, but "The Ides of March" manages to weave aninteresting and informative story about the dirty, unethical thingsthat take place whenever those fine-tailored stiffs are not mutteringpseudointellectual mumbo-jumbo on their stands.The picture reaffirms my belief that they only believe half of whatthey are really saying, and that it is more of a mudslinging match.Here we have Ryan Gosling as a political campaigner working to get aoily-tongued governor into the office of president. In the midst ofdodging and contending with reporters and rivals from the opposingparty, Mr. Gosling finds himself in the bed of a pretty young intern(the always enchanting Evan Rachel Wood) and from there explodes ascandal of such proportions that it destroys his composure, his career,and his relationships with those close to him.We all read about political scandals in the newspaper everyday, butwhat makes "The Ides of March" such a great film is the way it exploitsand delves into the dynamics involved. Half the time when I read anarticle in the New York Times or U.S.A. Today about an event like theone depicted here, I am left to speculate just how in the worldsomething as astronomically common as an extra-marital affair wouldspiral into a world of absolute insanity beyond the betrayers'household. Half a century ago, nobody would have cared (do you recallJ.F.K. and Marilyn Monroe and how little fuss anybody kicked up overthat one?). The movie takes this into account and allowed me to believein what was happening. It shed a little light on what I read in thepaper every day.That's also what makes "The Idea of March" so efficient a time-passer:the amount of information that it has to offer. How campaigners work,how they prepare for speeches, how they spiff up and communicate withthe figure they are trying to promote. As the director, Mr. Clooneywisely limits his screen time in order to provide more information forthe supporting figures so easily overlooked and when he does appear, heis commanding the screen since like the character he plays, isultimately the one whom the whole paradox revolves around. Thescreenplay is also so intelligently-written that "old hat speeches"about trust and betrayal are absolutely gripping. There's a scene wherethe campaign manager, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (who seems tohave played this part as a way to comeback for his degenerized work inthe disappointing and impersonal "Moneyball") gives a sixty-secondlecture to Mr. Gosling about the values of trust over friendship in acampaign and it's absolutely startling. Not only line is corny, not onesyllable out of place."The Ides of March" is a hard film to really discuss without giving toomuch away, which I certainly do not want to do, since I want those whohave not seen it to be as surprised as I was. Apart from what I'vealready said, I will warn those that the ending of the picture doescome a bit suddenly and will leave some wanting a little more. But whatcomes before that, especially in the last twenty minutes or so, is someof the best writing, directing, and acting that has been seen in theotherwise unimpressive year of 2011.Comments on the cast.Mr. Gosling, a wonderful actor, is perfectly-cast as the campaigner whoappears to throw his career away and then aggressively fights to get itback. Mr. Hoffman, as I said earlier, is superb and makes a memorableperformance out of a part so many could have just done averagely. MissWood, as always, is enchanting, sympathetic, and strong in herportrayal as the intern. Paul Giamitti, using sharp dialogue andterrific expressions in his eyes, is conniving as a rival worker.Marisa Tomei, impossible to recognize beyond her acting ability, isin-character and sharp as a scandal reporter out to ruin Mr. Gosling'sday. And I must not leave out writer/director/star George Clooney whosemultifaceted talents obviously contributed a lot to the production."The Ides of March" is one of the best movies of the year.

Movie_Muse_Reviews

20 April 2012

Stimulating and smart drama with some sad truths to reveal about politics


It might not be an election year, but politics never take a break frombeing cutthroat. "The Ides of March" peels back the curtain on electioncampaigns, in this case those of two Democrats vying for their party'snomination. Based on the play "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon, whohad a hand in the screenplay, "Ides" tells you everything you've alwaysassumed but chosen to remain ignorant of regarding the politicalmachine. Frank and whip- smart if not a bit esoteric, George Clooney'slatest directorial effort provides ample intellectual fodder bolsteredby a terrific ensemble.Clooney plays Michael Morris, a North Carolina governor and politicalidealism incarnate, essentially a caricature of Obama rhetoric (thoughthe 2008 play was based loosely on the Howard Dean campaign). But he'snot the focus: Rather it's his main staffer, Stephen, (Ryan Gosling)who gets the spotlight ,as well as campaign manager Paul (PhilipSeymour Hoffman). Morris simply serves as that point of referencereminding us what the polished exterior of a political campaign looksfeels like.The seemingly omnipresent Gosling utilizes his fittingly Clooney-likecharisma as Stephen, but without milking it. His character's "loss ofpolitical innocence" and consequent sharp left turn end up much morebelievable. Stephen is a hotshot who's far from a rookie in attitudeand behavior, but hasn't been through the grinder like campaign managerPaul and their rival, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti).Stephen still has his convictions, for example, believing completely inhis candidate and the Kool-aid he's serving. So he finds himself in abit of trouble when he agrees to a meeting with Duffy and learns somevaluable information that could completely tilt a pivotal Ohio primarythat's just one week away. With his loyalty in question after hismeeting leeks to their chummy reporter at the New York Times (MarisaTomei), Stephen also starts an affair with a campaign intern namedMolly (Evan Rachel Wood) and later learns a secret that will make himquestion all of it."Ides" takes the viewer behind the scenes into an ugly and somewhatsuperficial world. There's a bit of a soap-opera glamorization tovarious elements of the plot (affairs, back- stabbing, deception,etc.), but the actors hold it down with integrity. Vets Hoffman andGiamatti in particular give the film its backbone as two hard-nosedguys as blunt as the film's feelings on politics. Gosling and Wooddemonstrate as much talent as any young actors working today, thoughGosling's stardom should be a foregone conclusion at this point.Clooney excels at taking us on Stephen's journey and creatingaccessibility where the script lays on thick jargon. Various scenesthat simply show Morris out on the campaign delivering a speech seem tomeander, but Clooney understands that we must be exposed enough toMorris' public image to identify with that glitzy side of politics weget every couple years. Therefore, when all the new "info" comes tolight, our perspective of Morris transforms so drastically it'sfascinating to track."The Ides of March" asks that we accept certain truths about humannature and shows how the nature of politics feeds on some of our darkerand more self-serving inclinations. Even as we take up arms along withStephen's crusade to correct the (arguable) injustices thrust upon him,we can't help but to admit he has far from the clean record that atypical protagonist carries. Some might see the film's end as thebeginning of a new chapter cut short, but it holds out hope that cyclesof corruption feeding corruption do have the power to end.~Steven CCheck out my site, moviemusereviews.com

markgorman

19 April 2012

Political movie making at its finest


The Ides of March is to the USA what Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is toEngland.Each country's respective A teams line up to impress us with what theycan respectively muster.It's a hopeless non contest. Aided mostly by the fact that the Americanmaterial is richly plotted and deeply absorbing whereas the Englishmire themselves in dense sub plotting that renders the whole thingindigestible.The Ides of March is outstanding. George Clooney, overlooked by manycritics in this role because he is not always the centre of attention,plays Governor Mike Morris, a Democratic presidential candidate(complete with Obamaesque marketing materials) so well that you wouldunquestionably believe it if Clooney announced tomorrow that he wasrunning for the real presidency. And hell, if Schwarzeneger can runCalifornia and Reagan was good enough for the White House; why notClooney? So let's clear up one thing from the off. Clooney is immense.Clooney is one of America's greatest ever movie actors and this is asubtly downplayed 'best of George Clooney' performance. Not only that;he directed it, wrote it and produced it. Is there nothing he can't do?Playing opposite King C is his heir apparent, Ryan Gosling. Gosling isthe central fulcrum of this brilliant movie but he has a safety blanketof complete and utter class: Phillip Seymour Hoffman as his world wearyboss, Paul Giammatti as his boss' direct adversary, Marisa Tomei as agrubby Wall Street Hack, Evan Rachel Wood as the love interest (well,love would be stretching it. Let's just call it lust.). All are superb,and it's great to see Giamatti not playing a buffoon for a change.But let's focus on Gosling for a second. Gosling can not put a footwrong right now. I fancy him for at least two Oscar nominations thisyear for this role and for Drive. He has so stormed the Hollywood Alist as to make it his own (Clooney beware) and you see him onlygetting even better if he can keep his eye on great roles in trulygreat movies. In Ides of March he sweeps through the movie with ease,just as in Drive he starts out all likable and decent but as itprogresses his darker side emerges. I the case of Ides it all centresaround his "affair" with 20 (or is it 19) year old intern Molly Stearnplayed seductively By Evan Rachel Wood.It seems that interns are both forbidden fruit and fair game in equalmeasure (Monica Lewinsky anybody?). Her sleeping with Gosling (whoplays Morris' deputy campaign manager Stephen Myers) sets of a chain ofevents that it would be unfair of me to reveal. Suffice it to say thelast half hour has more twists and turns than a slinky on a spiralstaircase. It's gripping.This is a very fine piece of modern American cinema, the fact that isadapted from the stage makes it well crafted and honed to perfection.Expect serious rewards in the Ides of February in the Kodak Theatre.

Brennan Barfuss

10 April 2012

The Ides of March is well-written, well-directed, and is full to the brim with talented actors, but don't expect to feel good leaving the theater.


I left The Ides of March feeling very disappointed; not in the movie,but in the movie's subject matter. The viewer is hopeful and caught upin the idealistic, honest, and promising campaign of Mike Morris, as isRyan Gosling's character, Steve. In fact, Steve has put everything intothis campaign. He then sees his world fall apart, and it is not fun towatch. Why? The movie has a very pessimistic theme of corruption,manipulation in politics, and amoral ethics. The plot does take aseries of shocking twists and the acting is top notch, making this aquality movie in my books. Ryan Gosling continues to impress me, andClooney got the perfect pair of hard-nosed, clever campaign heads inPhilip Seymor Hoffman and Paul Giamatti. Overall very good movie, butdon't expect to feel good coming out, expect to feel even morepessimistic and distrustful of politicians (which I didn't think waspossible for me).

nep983

10 April 2012

Quite Surprised


When I first heard about this film I didn't want to see it because I'mnot a fan of George Clooney really and saw that he was writingdirecting and producing it. Some actors like Tyler Perry make not sogreat movies. But Clooney is no Tyler Perry and manages to direct,write produce and star in his own film. Basically it's a politicalmovie or whatever you want to call it. That all I'm saying. The cast isimpressive Ryan Gosling is perfect as the lead role too bad he didn'tget any Oscar noms for this. Other cast members such as Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, MarisaTomei, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jennifer Ehle. She has very littlescreen time sadly along with Jeffrey Wright.This film is definitely worth checking out on DVD 7/10

rocketqueenn65

24 March 2012

Poor Script + Predictable = Another Clooney Bomb


Within 5 minutes I had figured out the entire plot. Somebody inHollywood needs to wake up because Clooney has zero clue as to what heis doing. Yet he keeps getting to make more movies. I watched the moviemainly because Giamati and Gossling are in it. Say what you want, but Idon't what's worse this or Up in The Air or The American. Reviewers cansay what they want about how those movies were artistic, but Iguarantee if you made those same people sit through those movies againthey would refuse. Like usual another hyped up Clooney bomb. I honestlycannot think of any reason to suggest to somebody to watch this. Thepolitical plot lines are so obvious a five year old kid could figure itout. This is not by any means a political thriller, at best it is amovie about politics and nothing more. I'm sorry great actors actuallysigned on to this movie, didn't they read the script or did they reallyneed a paycheck that bad.

glennschaefer68

24 March 2012

What I suspect is the way things actually are in politics...


I cannot believe this movie did not get more coverage and more hoopla.I watched this movie with some expectations of it being fairly good,but painting a very similar picture that we have all seen many timesnow. I have to say I was extremely surprised in a very good way. Thisis a very good story with very good actors giving very good actingperformances. I have to admit I/m a fan of Gearge Clooney's acting, butnot his politics - so you can imagine I was more than a little dubiousabout this being a Clooney movie about the political machine. But all Iwant to say is do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It is dynamite- a definite 9 out of 10...Enjoy...

jimdoyle111

22 March 2012

A Bit Of A Let Down


Oh Dear! Considering the amount of talent involved in making this it'sa real disappointment. A dull story about characters I couldn't careless about doing things I wasn't interested in. It's the old chestnutabout American politics being a dirty business and how no one can betrusted and all the double dealing and manipulating that goes on. It'sbeen done before and better with films like 'The Best Man'and'Bulworth'. Many of the characters seem to have been drawn from everypolitical stereotype and none of them seems very believable, and MarisaTomei's cartoon styled journalist belonged in something like 'TheSimpsons'. For fans ofthe particpants only I'm afraid.

alexandros-15

22 March 2012

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.

Robert W.

17 March 2012

Simply put...same old same old


If George Clooney were not attached to this film it would have beenshuffled off into oblivion and never heard of again. But because Mr.Popular himself is director, writer and star...it got rave reviews andeven award nominations. I can promise you it deserves none of theaccolades. I don't mean that it isn't reasonably entertaining and itisn't a bad movie but it is so stereotypical, by the book, predictableand you'll realize that you've seen this time and time again. Somereviewers called it 'thrilling' and 'captivating.' I definitely don'tget the thrilling part because there isn't any 'thriller' aspects tothis movie. Yes the performances are decent but the script is so humdrum and typical that it just loses any merit it might have. They arevery fortunate that they had a strong actor like Gosling and thechemistry of Clooney because otherwise I think this movie would be afive or less and would be completely lost in the grand scheme ofpredictability.Ryan Gosling is good at playing the young hot headed political mastermind. He's almost too young to be believable but he pulls it offbecause Gosling really is a brilliant actor. He does make the filmwatchable and is always entertaining in his roles. George Clooney isthe Governor running for President. Clooney is a good actor at timesbut usually his most heralded performances I find just okay and this isone of them. He is downright boring. Yes he looks Presidential but thecharacter is so boring and typical. I even thought his chemistry withGosling was just average. Philip Seymour Hoffman is such a terrificactor and he gets wasted so often in films. He is good in this movie asa rival to Gosling but he gets placed in the background (much like theydid with Moneyball) and never gets to really let loose. Another exampleof this is Paul Giamatti, another terrific actor who has been gettingthe short end of the stick lately, and is barely used in this movie.Even when he is on screen his character is very drab. Evan Rachel Woodseems to start out strong in her character and has great chemistry withGosling but then a turn in the story pushes her character into completemonotony.I'm just really surprised that George Clooney would write this and notthink to himself...do we need another story about this? Aren't peopletired of the same old political story? Because that is what this filmis. A very simple, straight forward, tired old political story. Goslingraises up the ante of the film enough to make it reasonably watchable.As much as everyone hypes the movie I will encourage people to reallypass this and find something more captivating. Its not a waste of timebut it also won't stick with you after its done and over with. 6/10

cmeneken-1

17 March 2012

Most boring political film of all time


Much as I have liked Clooney's performances (Oh Brother) and directing(Good Night), I found his latest effort incredibly boring andpredictable. I walked out a few times but in between I did not enjoyone moment of this film, nor did I hear one sentence of interestingdialog, or one moment that had any creative energy to it. as to theacting, which many reviewers liked, I must disagree in that all themajor talent gave predictable performances, while the guy playing theprotagonist was unappealing. the plot, what there was of it, made nosense, as it seemed to revolve around the hardly scandalous event oftwo rival campaign strategists meeting. If one watches an intelligentpolitical film like the Best Man, for example, one realizes how farthis genre has suffered in recent years, along with politics ingeneral.

mitch_e33

11 March 2012

Subtlety & restraint from Clooney


With the feast of new films coming out in December, there are bound tobe clever, well-made, thought-provoking films, as well as disappointingor downright embarrassing ones. The Ides of March, I am happy to say,fits in the former category. Based on the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon and directed by oneof Hollywood's favourite leading men, George Clooney, The Ides of Marchfollows Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), a young, political up-and-comeras he works as the chief media adviser on Governor Morris' (GeorgeClooney) campaign to win the all-important Ohio primary in theDemocratic presidential nomination. As one of Morris' most trustedadvisors and the race increasingly swaying in Morris' favour, Meyerscomes ever closer to having a top role in the White House. However, political tides turn when the other candidate's chief adviser,Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) asks to meet with Meyers and advises him tocome work for his side. After Meyers declines, things begin to go awryin the campaign and questions of loyalty and dignity are brought intoquestion more so than ever before.Obviously, this is not a ground-breaking plot in the political genre,and at times this becomes a noticeable problem, but Clooney is able toovercome this with a clear sense of purpose and technical skills in hisdirection and the performances he is able to achieve from his actors.The performances work so well because they achieve a sense of subtletyand restraint throughout the film. This is especially true when talkingof Gosling or Clooney who could have easily stole every scene. Insteadthey allow room for their supporting cast, including an exceptionalEvan Rachel Wood, to develop and as such they are able to achieve moredepth and consequently, more humanity in their characters. Themes such as loyalty and deceit are very prevalent and at times itcan feel that Clooney is trying too hard to hammer these aspects home.His overuse of lighting, particularly shadows to represent these themesare not as subtle as the rest of his direction and there are clearissues with pacing as the middle section of the film dragged slightly,but these are minor faults in Clooney's direction and do little todetract from the elegant restraint he shows throughout the rest of thefilm. Ultimately though, despite all these other aspects, the majority ofdiscussion surrounding The Ides of March will be that of the man ofhour – Ryan Gosling. After a string of box-office and critical hits,Gosling gives another fine performance that on any other year would puthim in the awards race but will instead be overshadowed by theaudacious and controversial performance in the critic's favourite,Drive. In many ways this is typical of the film itself, as while it is a trulyfine film with brilliant direction and performances, it will beultimately, almost cruelly, overshadowed.

judy

11 March 2012

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.

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