Lazy subplot spoils political thriller
By Christy Lemire |
October 14, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN powerful men amass their armies and go to battle in a tight political race, even the most idealistic and fervent political junkies may find their faith tested, if not obliterated. It is an ugly, cynical business, full of ambitious people who will do whatever they must to survive.
This is the not-so-shocking point of "The Ides of March," the latest film George Clooney has directed, based on the 2008 play "Farragut North." It's meaty and weighty and relevant, exactly the kind of material that appeals to Clooney, and to fans of Clooney. But it doesn't tell us much that we didn't already know, or at least suspect, about the people we place our trust in to lead us in the right direction come election time. And it features a major and distracting twist that undermines everything that came before it.
Clooney is such an excellent actor, though - here he plays a supporting role as a Pennsylvania governor seeking the Democratic presidential nomination - and he's such a smart, efficient director, he really knows how to get the best out of his cast. And it would seem difficult to go wrong with a cast like this.
Philip Seymour Hoffman tears it up as the governor's gruff, no-nonsense campaign manager, a veteran who's seen it all. Paul Giamatti is reliably smarmy as Hoffman's counterpart for the rival Democratic candidate, and watching these two eyeball each other backstage at a debate is a thrill.
But the real star is Ryan Gosling as Stephen Myers, a young, up-and-coming strategist and press secretary who works for Clooney's Governor Mike Morris. As he did earlier this year in "Crazy Stupid Love," Gosling radiates charisma, schmoozing and charming reporters and staffers with equal ease. But beneath that slick exterior, his character is a true believer. And Morris, with his great looks, smooth voice and progressive platitudes, seems to him like the real deal. Finally.
"The Ides of March," which Clooney co-wrote with his frequent collaborator, Grant Heslov, and "Farragut North" playwright Beau Willimon, follows the final, frantic days before the Ohio Democratic primary. The grunt work and the daily machinations and manipulations of a political campaign consistently ring true. Clooney is as interested in process as personalities, which was evident in the last film he directed, 2005's "Good Night, and Good Luck," and that balance gives his work an authenticity.
That's why it's such a letdown when it turns tawdry toward the end. Without giving away the details, let's just say the actions and motivations in this subplot are entirely unbelievable.
If "The Ides of March" had just been about intense, powerful people and the conflict between ideals and reality, it would have provided vital and vibrant entertainment. Still, Gosling's journey feels believable, despite the narrative potholes. The lost, disillusioned look on his face in the film's final shot - especially in contrast with the confidence he exuded in a similar close-up at the start - says it all.
This is the not-so-shocking point of "The Ides of March," the latest film George Clooney has directed, based on the 2008 play "Farragut North." It's meaty and weighty and relevant, exactly the kind of material that appeals to Clooney, and to fans of Clooney. But it doesn't tell us much that we didn't already know, or at least suspect, about the people we place our trust in to lead us in the right direction come election time. And it features a major and distracting twist that undermines everything that came before it.
Clooney is such an excellent actor, though - here he plays a supporting role as a Pennsylvania governor seeking the Democratic presidential nomination - and he's such a smart, efficient director, he really knows how to get the best out of his cast. And it would seem difficult to go wrong with a cast like this.
Philip Seymour Hoffman tears it up as the governor's gruff, no-nonsense campaign manager, a veteran who's seen it all. Paul Giamatti is reliably smarmy as Hoffman's counterpart for the rival Democratic candidate, and watching these two eyeball each other backstage at a debate is a thrill.
But the real star is Ryan Gosling as Stephen Myers, a young, up-and-coming strategist and press secretary who works for Clooney's Governor Mike Morris. As he did earlier this year in "Crazy Stupid Love," Gosling radiates charisma, schmoozing and charming reporters and staffers with equal ease. But beneath that slick exterior, his character is a true believer. And Morris, with his great looks, smooth voice and progressive platitudes, seems to him like the real deal. Finally.
"The Ides of March," which Clooney co-wrote with his frequent collaborator, Grant Heslov, and "Farragut North" playwright Beau Willimon, follows the final, frantic days before the Ohio Democratic primary. The grunt work and the daily machinations and manipulations of a political campaign consistently ring true. Clooney is as interested in process as personalities, which was evident in the last film he directed, 2005's "Good Night, and Good Luck," and that balance gives his work an authenticity.
That's why it's such a letdown when it turns tawdry toward the end. Without giving away the details, let's just say the actions and motivations in this subplot are entirely unbelievable.
If "The Ides of March" had just been about intense, powerful people and the conflict between ideals and reality, it would have provided vital and vibrant entertainment. Still, Gosling's journey feels believable, despite the narrative potholes. The lost, disillusioned look on his face in the film's final shot - especially in contrast with the confidence he exuded in a similar close-up at the start - says it all.
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