Ho hum drama about an idealistic Junior Campaign Manager who succumbs to dirty politics when his candidate’s election chances are threatened. Disillusionment with the political system is such a common theme, the subject could be its own genre. As drama, The Ides of March is respectable but as harsh critique on the political game, it’s about 100 years too late to be revelatory. Better yet, make that 200 years behind. Anyone who believes the road to the presidency was ever paved with truth and integrity might be amazed by what they see here. For everyone else, this is business as usual.
It’s pretty safe to say it has actor George Clooney’s ideology all wrapped up in it. He wrote, directed, produced and stars in The Ides of March. Clooney plays Governor Mike Morris, a charismatic politician that worships at the altar of the U.S. Constitution eschewing any sort of religion. But the script is less than equitable. Apparently the story’s idea of fairness is to show how moderate Democrats must become deceitful devils in order to compete with the evil Republicans at their own game. So much for an even handed approach.
It’s clear that Clooney’s presidential hopeful is modeled after his personal beliefs. He’s glib, relaxed and always confident in his answers. On a live TV interview, Morris is questioned whether he would still oppose the death penalty if his wife were raped and murdered. Shades of Michael Dukakis back in 1988 when he was posed that very same question! Clooney responds with a more emotional (albeit illegal) answer that many felt Dukakis should have given. Nothing like having two decades to craft your response. Morris is trying to win the Ohio Democratic primary, but Clooney is delusional if he thinks his candidate would ever make it anywhere close to a Presidential primary in the real world. He’s too inflexible. End all war! No reliance on foreign oil! Free education for mandatory service in the military! No new cars with internal combustion engines! These are not open for debate and he’s not budging. The character is so steadfast, it feels disingenuous. Where’s the ambiguity and self doubt? However that isn’t even this tale’s biggest problem.
Surprisingly clichéd, the narrative is dull as a political exposé on what goes on behind powerful campaigns. Nothing really resonates much after it’s over. It’s biggest conceit is that the wheels of the political machine are greased with concessions and compromise. Shocking! Today the term Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators in 44 B.C. The title here points more to a betrayal of loyalty than of physical harm. There’s a particularly engrossing scene where Philip Seymour Hoffman addresses Ryan Gosling in the second half. As Senior Campaign Manager Paul Zara, Hoffman gives a riveting speech regarding loyalty. I wish more of the film had electrifying scenes like that. It’s as well written as anything I’ve seen in 2011. Paul Giamatti also bears a mention as the rival Campaign Manager for a competing Democratic candidate. He gives quite a performance as well. But those bright spots are rare examples of interest. As it stands, the perspective is just too insipid to make much of an impression.
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