The Ides of March

Release Date: 21 February 2012
Director: George Clooney
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, George Clooney, Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling
Details: US/TBC TBC
George Clooney's fourth film as a director boasts a cast worth salivating over and the kind of incendiary political subject matter that has garnered the charismatic leading man both wanted and unwanted attention in the past. Ryan Gosling is a firm and capable lead, while Clooney takes a backseat in front of the camera, instead concentrating on directing some wonderfully organic exchanges between his characters. The story is by-the-numbers, but the constantly brimming intensity and superb acting more than make up for that.


Clooney is Senator Morris - a moralistic politician gunning for the Democratic nomination for President of The United States. Gosling is his intelligent, idealist aide, Stephen Myers, a young man who genuinely believes his guy to be the real deal. Hoffman is a more cynical member of the same team - albeit slightly higher up the food chain. When Myers takes a meeting from the campaign manager of the opposition (another great Giamatti performance), the shit hits the fan and a series of events unfold that makes him question who he's working for and whether there is a right or wrong side at all.


Clooney hasn't so much grown as a director; he's simply displayed that he's just plain good at it. With his first film, his influences were obvious. Here, he's found his own style and voice and proved himself yet again as a remarkable handler of actors. He rests his camera on the face of all of his stars at one point or another, and it only moves in slow pans when something is being emphasised about a character - an effective tool. Otherwise, it's an almost aesthetically static production, but one packed with atmosphere.


The plot is simple, and those expecting a policy-driven film with a libertarian agenda will be disappointed - 'Ides' is much more of a thriller than you might expect. There are elements of Clooney's Morris that reverberate in the current political climate (his poster is distinctly Obama-like) but for the most part, he seems to be an concoction of various politicians.


Out of all of Gosling's impressive performances this year, he has less to do here; mainly he's required to play it ponderous and straight-laced, which he does without breaking a sweat. It's a plot-driven production, and he serves the plot and holds the screen like a true movie star - nobody could have played this part better. Clooney is excellent as Morris, while Hoffman and Wood also impress.


An exceptionally well-made, old fashioned film that clicks in every way that it should.

Review by Mike Sheridan