THE IDES OF MARCH - archive from 3rd December 2011.

Saw 'THE IDES OF MARCH' this week. George Clooney Produces, Directs, Co-Writes and leads this film with his usual enigmatic intense approach to movie making that sees him as polished, smart, likable and affable US Governor of Pennsylvania Mike Morris who is bidding for the big chair in the Whitehouse. This is a good solid political drama set with the backdrop of the Ohio Primary Elections . . . yes you guessed it, in March, and Clooney is backed up by a strong cast and a very solid storyline.

Ryan Gosling plays a strong supporting role as Stephen Meyers rather than his usual shoot 'em up action fuelled roles played hitherto, and here he is the staffer #1 and aide to Mike Morris on the campaign trail. He moves & shakes with the media, he is the speech writer, he schmoozes when he needs to and can back stab with the best of them . . . but for all this he is young and still wet behind the ears! When he succumbs to a moment of temptation with a female campaign volunteer he sets off a chain reaction from which there is no going back and which has repercussions on those around him - including his boss - Governor Mike Morris, who after all it would appear is hardly whiter than white himself, and no knight in shining armour either! Well, there's a surprise - do we know any Politicians that are?

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti add gravitas as always as the other big players caught up in this burgeoning web of political intrigue with Morris & Co. Hoffman here is Paul Zara - the campaign manager and superior to Gosling's Meyers who has to deal with the fall out from Meyer's moment of weakness and the impending scandal and that may emanate from it. Giamatti is Tom Duffy the campaign manager for Ted Pullman (Michael Mantell) - an Arkansas Senator competing directly against Morris who comes to learn of said shenanigans and strives to use this for Pullmans political gain, but there are other forces at work here too.

All of this comes to a rather abrupt ending that doesn't really end too well for anyone (just another day in Politics!) but nonetheless it is a reasonably good story well played out by cast and Director. The film was made for just US$12.5M and grossed in the final analysis US$76M, and it picked up an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, four Golden Globe nominations, and two BAFTA Nominations. All up worldwide it received ten award wins and a further thirty nominations. Worth seeking out at your local DVD Store if Political Drama's are your thing!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-