REVIEW - The Ides of March

SYNOPSIS: George Clooney is running for the nomination to be the Democratic candidate for President. And it all comes down to Ohio. ... Or South Carolina. Depending on who the Governor of South Carolina picks to support and throw his delegates behind. But if George Clooney wins Ohio, then it won't really matter. Confused yet? Don't be. It's not as complicated as it sounds. And it gets better. Really. I Promise.

Ryan Gosling works for George Clooney. Well actually Ryan Gosling works for Phillip Seymour Hoffman who is running George Clooney's campaign. Ryan Gosling is the media man. And he's good with the media. Real good. Super good. So good in fact, that he gets a call from the other guy's Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti. Paul Giamatti wants Ryan Gosling to meet him at a bar to "talk." Ryan Gosling knows he shouldn't. But he does. Or else ... no movie.

Ryan Gosling is offered a job on the other campaign. Paul Giamatti tells Ryan Gosling they have South Carolina sewn up because they are giving the Governor of South Carolina Secretary of State. And the polls show a big enough lead that they should take Ohio easily. So Ryan Gosling is thus on the losing team. Ryan Gosling balks and walks away. Straight to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, to tell him about the offer. Well that's actually not true ... Cause see. There's this girl. A really really pretty girl. Evan Rachel Wood. And she's an intern for George Clooney. And Ryan Gosling likes her. So they go out and ... yeah. They hook up. 

Well when Ryan Gosling does end up telling Phillip Seymour Hoffman about the meeting with Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman flips the f out. And the next night Ryan Gosling spends with Evan Rachel Wood, she gets a phone call in the middle of the night from ... George Clooney. Oh how that plot loves to thicken.

Long story short, (that means spoilers ahead) Evan Rachel Wood is pregnant with George Clooney's baby. She gets an abortion and commits suicide. Phillip Seymour Hoffman outs Ryan Gosling and his meeting with Paul Giamatti to Marisa Tomei, a reporter for the New York Times and then fires Ryan Gosling. Ryan Gosling finds Evan Rachel Wood's cell phone, and goes to Paul Giamatti to take the job offer. But Paul Giamatti, as it turns out, set Ryan Gosling up because he knew he would tell Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti knew Phillip Seymour Hoffman would flip out. Ryan Gosling then goes to confront George Clooney in the kitchen of a bar with the cell phone and the existence of a letter that doesn't really exist forcing George Clooney to call his bluff (best moment in the movie), and subsequently has Phillip Seymour Hoffman fired. Then Ryan Gosling gets hired as the new top gun on the campaign, and he promises the governor of South Carolina he'll be the VP on the ticket and George Clooney gets the nomination.

REVIEW: Ides of March was a very decent movie. It wan't as fun as Primary Colors. It wasn't as epic as All the President's Men. It wasn't as well written as American President. It wasn't as well acted as ... well actually. It was incredibly well acted. And that is why I'd recommend it. As an OK film, with some very, very fine acting.

I am by no means a Ryan Gosling nut. But I thought he held his own against two of the greatest actors of this generation - Paul Giamatti and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Gosling brought wit, charm and an ease that made his character's arc from naive-passionate campaigner to cut-throat-political-operative very enjoyable indeed.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman had his usual moments of sheer brilliance. The scene where he confronts Ryan Gosling with the fact that it was him who outed Gosling to the New York Times was especially good.

And Paul Giamatti nailed the slime-ball-political-aid. Towards the beginning, there's this moment where Paul Giamatti is pouring himself some coffee. Just pouring some coffe. But he's an ass. You know he's an ass. Right then. Paul Giamatti and Phillip Seymour Hoffman just understand how to subtly communicate what needs to be communicated in the moment. Brilliance. 

And George was .. George. Fine. He did what he needed to do. He's like the third baseman that you know you can stick into your line up and he'll probably hit some balls, maybe score some runs. But he'll never really be that incredible talent he has had the opportunity to be. 

The writing, to be honest, was the most disappointing aspect. Beau Willimon wrote a play of the same name and is credited as one of the screenwriters here. You can just tell it was his first foray into film. Everything was very pedestrian. The dialogue, as you would expect, was amazing. The subtext was sublime. But the storyline, plot and the character arcs all fell kind of flat. They didn't die on the vine. But they were a little stale. There was a, sort of, predictability to it all. 

OVERALL: I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10. Go for the performances. But don't expect the next great piece of political filmmaking.