by Thomas Willett
11:00pm PST, October 12, 2011
From the opening scene, it’s clear that The Ides Of March will be spent mostly in the shadows. As Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), a Junior Campaign Manager, approaches a microphone to test it, he spouts a message about equality before any lights ever turn on. This message will go on to be said on the same stage by Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) at a campaign rally for his possible presidential candidacy. For the most part, Myers is an honest, hard working staffer whose only dream is to see the right man get into office.
While it feels like Myers is in the shadows of Morris, the story quickly turns into a study on how important every position is in an election. While Morris is busy preaching hope, the story follows Myers as he begins to experience dilemmas that turn his simple goal into more complicated directions by flirting with journalists (Marisa Tomei), opposing campaign managers (Paul Giamatti), his superiors (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), and interns (Evan Rachel Wood) who all have ways of trying to corrupt Myers’s job.
This is a movie in which casting is key. If one character seems out of place, the entire story crumbles. Everything is based on communication, which, if not delivered correctly, can be hazardous. Ides is fortunate enough to feature a prominent selection of Oscar winners and nominees, all of whom can (and do!) deliver dialog in a compelling nature. As a result, every piece flows together seamlessly, creating one of the most intense slow-reveals of the year.
The story chooses to challenge our understanding of politics through moral amibiguity. With many characters tempting Myers to go astray, it’s never stated that anyone is the enemy. In fact, with the depiction of corrupt staffers, the movie paints the whole system underneath Morris’s hopeful future to be bleak. Even those wishing to better the campaign (Max Minghella) are doomed to finding out some dark truths about the candidates. By the end, it leaves Myers pondering if he should shatter the dream with the truth.
While the performances are very gripping, the score by Alexandre Desplat manages to add a level of Americana and pride io the movie that intensifies as things get worse. It’s very fitting to Gosling’s character and works to make the silence of self reflection and tension weigh heavier. By the closing credits, Desplat’s score is so intertwined that it makes even the slowest scenes feel lively.
The story may not be the most authentic, but it’s more about how it reaches the end. By choosing to be a wordy movie, it creates a challenge to analyze details closely. Writer/Director George Clooney does not give all of the answers easily. This film has to be dissected line for line to get the true message. With great performances and exceptional use of lighting, the story comes to life and unapologetically tears apart the mythos of politics. Everyone is flawed and the story is more about the correct way of dealing with it.
While The Ides of March is a very slow movie, it’s a rewarding experience just to witness what a well-structured story can feel like! Amongst the other drivel in theaters now, it feels more honest and pure, even if the results are more bleak. The story is a cautious tale on those who want to be heroes in real life. When your words have power to sway votes, it’s possible to lie to protect names. It’s harder than imagined, and this movie proves why. It does so in a way that is so enthralling, the next reveal will come too soon and bizarrely alter your perception.
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