Review: The Ides of March

Political thrillers and dramas have always been of interest to me. The Manchurian Candidate, Milk and others are films I find quite enjoyable. The Ides of March falls within this generic category and this is my review. Small spoilers are included with large spoilers after the header.

With the preface out of the way, let me say that I was very impressed with this film. Ryan Gosling commits himself to the role of Stephen Myers, the junior campaign manager for Clooney's Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Mike Morris. I felt as though he was the character, feeling and processing every internal struggle through both his body language, facial expression and tones. I've been a fan of his for quite a while and this movie again proved to me that he is one of the best actors of his generation.

Clooney provides solid supporting, as his usual charm and likability are visible throughout. The cast overall is good, with big names that I respect very much. Evan Rachel Wood was impressive as the intern, Molly, who stirs the conflict and drives the film.

Based on the play Farragut North (2008) written by Beau Willimon, the screenplay written by Clooney, Willimon and Grant Heslov. I thought the writing was good, not great. However, one scene blew me away.

SPOILER


The meeting between Myers (Gosling) and Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) is superb. Every word captures the audience and sucks them into the conversation, delivering powerful blow after blow. This is the scene that resonated most with me, and feel free to tell me otherwise, but I thought the intensity of the conversation at this pivotal moment of the film was fantastic.


END SPOILER

As always I wished I could view this multiple times in a row, then come back to it before writing my review, but with limited funds and time that seems unlikely. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and while some may argue that it does not accurately portray politics, it captures the audience for an entertaining ride and makes us follow the arc of Myers (Gosling) as he is exposed to the corruption of a system he believes in.

The ending is ambiguous, but this works perfectly for me. I like to decide what happens after the film ends. I like films that get people talking about the film and its themes, methods and everything involved.

Now I may be bold in these predictions, but I think I've got a good idea how the Academy works. This is early, and I haven't seen as many movies as I should have, but I'll throw Gosling out for Best Actor, the screenplay for Best Adapted, and the film for Best Picture. These are just nomination predictions, but it makes sense to me right now.

Captivating and full of twists, this political thriller is a must see for anyone interested in being taken on a character driven story that straddles the grays of morality.

8/10 (if I have to give a score)
Good, but not great, an above average film with some strong components.