The Ides of March (2011)

It is the Democratic Primary in Ohio and Governor Mike Morris’ (George Clooney) only chance for nomination rely on winning the votes against his opponent, Senator Pullman.  By his side is senior campaign manager, Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and top staffer, Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) doing all they can to ensure Morris’ win.  A couple of days into the primary, Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), Pullman’s top campaign manager, tries to recruit Myers to switch sides.  Though he refuses to do so, reporter Ida (Marisa Tomei) gets word of the meeting and threatens to write a story on it, which would cost him his job.  And at the same time, Myers uncovers scandalous information about Morris, arousing internal conflict and causing him to question his idealistic perspective on the campaign, life, and politics.

I texted my sister after watching this film – “two thumbs up.”  The cover of the DVD captures Ryan Gosling and George Clooney as one face, half Gosling and half Clooney.  It could not be more perfect for the transition we see Gosling’s character go through during the Ohio primary.  An idealistic, naive young man in love with politics to a ruthless, blackmailing SOB.  Well, the change is not that drastic, but it does involve extortion and a couple of people who get thrown under the bus.  I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

In the opening scene, we see Stephen (Gosling) at a podium, checking the microphone and arrangement of the stage for an upcoming debate between Morris and Pullman.  The innocence and purity he displays in the first 30 minutes of the film are undeniable.  He has a real love for politics and a real want to get Morris elected.  There is even a scene in which him and Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), an intern he begins sleeping with, are in the middle of having sex and he pauses to watch a story on TV about the campaign.  Director George Clooney, whom I had no idea was the director until this very moment, could not have done a better job at highlighting his one track mind.

Clooney does a magnificent job at depicting his character, Mike Morris, as an ethical, upstanding Governor with morals and class.  We watch as Morris objects to an endorsement of one senator whom could win him Ohio because he does not agree with his leadership.  We watch Morris with his wife, laughing and loving, and with his staff, calm and honest.  And then we watch as Stephen uncovers the scandal regarding Morris, bringing that ethical, upstanding image to a drastic standstill.  I sat up in my bed, thinking I was misunderstanding what was being said.  You can basically see Stephen’s entire world crashing around him.  What he once believed true no longer is.  Innocence has been lost.

The cover of the DVD immediately reminded me of the Batman character, Harvey “Two-Face” Dent.  Having never been a fan of Batman, my first encounter with Two-Face was in the 2008 Batman film, The Dark Knight.  Throughout much of the movie, he is an upstanding and honorable man looking to do good for the city of Gotham, but eventually the evils wear on him and he goes insane.  Wikipedia calls Dent the “tragic hero” of that film.  Could the same be said for Myers?  Wikipedia defines a tragic hero as “one that has one major flaw and the audience usually feels pity.”  Myers’ flaw?  Naivety.  Did I take pity on him?  No.  The ending of the film makes it hard to feel pity for anyone besides Molly and possibly Paul Zara.

If you did not trust politicians going into the film, this movie will only give you more backing for that stance.  Not so much in the politics, but in the personal lives of politicians.  How much is hidden from view, hidden from staff, and hidden from supporters, and how much is going on behind closed doors?  I am not political myself, so I do not want to give the impression that this film is political or bashing politics.   It is really about life.  At some time in our lives, we have all been naive to something or someone.  For me, I want to believe everyone is looking out for our greater good, but unfortunately that is not always the case and I have been taken for a fool.  We have all been where Myers has been; it is what we do that information and those feelings that matters most in the end and defines us as a person.

Clooney, along with screenwriters Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, wrote a brilliant screenplay.  Within the first thirty minutes, I had clear impressions of each and every character.  I had made my assessments and was content.  However, thirty minutes from the end of the film, each assessment had been brutally uprooted by some information or some action of the characters and I did not know what to believe.  I could not longer predict what each character was going to do.  I was shocked by a couple of outcomes, taken aback by a few encounters, and thoroughly rapt in the film the entire time.  Maybe I am naive at not having guessed the ending.  There have been numerous movies I walked away from where my guests have known what was to come the whole time and I did not.  I like being surprised in the theater, which is why I do not spend the entire time trying to guess what will happen.  Clooney, Hestov, and Willimon provided me with unpredictability and for that, I call them brilliant and tell you, my audience, to watch this film at your earliest convenience.  Then you can be the judge of Myers’ status as a tragic hero.