Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is my dream presidential candidate with a platform to die for: no internal combustion cars within 10 years, full education grants for those who enlist for two years of service (military, environmental or other), women's right to choose, marriage for all who want it, true separation of church and state (we seem to have forgotten the U.S. is not a Christian state religion country), fairly taxing of the rich, helping citizens who need help (as first envisioned by the founding fathers). And he's cute. This is the candidate who embodies all the ideals for which Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) devoted his life to politics. As Morris' campaign second-in-command, Myers feels he can really make a difference in the lives of all Americans. So, why would he even take a meeting with opposition candidate campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti)? This is where the plot falters. And since the fallout from this meeting, he no longer cares whom he works for as long as it's a winner, negating a lifetime's career of ethics and sense of purpose. This seems more like a cheap plot device and not a sequence of probable events for this character.
There are other plot weak points as well, but overall, the whole story hinges on one man's political ideals and his one lapse in loyalty. On the other hand, perhaps 'The Ides of March' explores a new kind of political machine -- so studied and precise that even the smallest error in a year of campaigning can cause a drop in 2% in the polls which can cause the end of a race. 'For lack of a nail, a war was lost' (or a quote very similar to it). Perhaps there is only one running mate and his associated delegates who can return a campaign to equilibrium. All the variables, the principals behind the scenes, the day-to-day fluctuations of voters are things of the past. The science of campaigns predict too accurately outcomes and there is no margin for errors like Myers'.
This premise about one campaign consultant's fault in judgment is, therefore, either a glimpse into campaigning in the 21st century or isn't, and is just too thin a plot for this overqualified cast. Masterful, contained, intense performances by Gosling, Hoffman, Clooney and Giamatti may cause the audience to not even notice or care about the plot. Their interactions alone may sustain our appetite for good adult drama. However, compared to other campaign films of the past, we won't be privy to the political process -- or at least how it functioned in the 20th century. And with another campaign year on the horizon, it wouldn't hurt to be more aware of the process. If that's your interest, try State of the Union (1948), All The King's Men (1949), The Best Man (1964), or Bob Roberts (1992). Still, will we ever know what reallygoes on in the back rooms, closed restaurant kitchens, and other secret meeting places between the powerful and their soldiers?
The Ides of March
Director: George Clooney
Writer: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon from the play 'Farragut North' by Beau Willimon
Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Ehle
Time: 101 min.
Rating: R
Opening October 7 at the AMC Van Ness, Sundance Kabuki, Marina in San Francisco
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