Movies: "Ides of March" a Realistic Look at American Politics

"The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning." —Theodor Wiesengrund Adorno 

With the Ohio presidential primary being the main battleground for the Democratic nomination, George Clooney's new film, "The Ides of March," is about an idealistic campaign aide/media expert, Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), who has finally found a candidate (California Governor Mike Morris, played by Clooney) whom he can trust, respect, and show complete loyalty towards.

For a while, his job is the ultimate liberal dream, with an articulate, thoughtful candidate who has the charm and warmth of, well, George Clooney.

"I don't have to play dirty anymore," Meyers says at one point, "because I've got Morris." 

New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) tells Meyers, "You're really into this 'take back the country' crap, aren't you? You've really drunk the Kool-Aid."  When Meyers suggests that his guy is the real deal, the reporter shoots back that Morris "is a politician. He will let you down—sooner or later."

Clooney has proved—notably with 2005's "Good Night and Good Luck"—that, as a director, he can be very adept at exploring big ideas while still entertaining his audience.

He has also shown the ability to get the most out of a cast. Here he creates a dense tapestry of beautifully sketched characters: Tomei's Times reporter, the rumpled Morris campaign manager (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the shrewd opposing candidate's manager (Paul Giamatti), a young intern (Evan Rachel Wood) and a failed presidential contender who holds the key to Morris' victory (Jeffrey Wright).

Even the smaller roles—another Morris aide (Max Minghella) and the candidate's wife (Jennifer Ehle)—are spot on.

Gosling can be too intense in dramatic roles, but here he oozes the kind of surface charm all good campaign operatives have. At one point, Giamatti, as Gosling's rival campaign manager, tries to hire him, because, he says, Meyers has "the ability to gain people's respect by making them mistake their fear for love." As things unravel around him—it all happens very quickly—Gosling has to project a man who must decide whether his ambitions are so great that he is willing to lose his soul. It's a tricky bit of acting, but Gosling handles it well.

For his part, Clooney initially projects the kind of appeal Martin Sheen did as President Bartlett on "The West Wing"—a leader whom you're dying to follow. And then he's not, and those little mannerisms that Clooney uses to make us love him on screen turn fake and even cruel. He may say to his audiences that "integrity matters, our future depends on it," but it's his future he's really concerned about.

This is the darkest film noir; it challenges us to come along for the roller coaster ride through the toxic atmosphere of contemporary politics, even if we have nothing (no one, actually) to hold onto for emotional strength.

"Ides of March" has some flaws. The twist in the plot is too predictable. More importantly, it has a notable problem connecting with the audience. In the end, there is no one for us to root for or, at least, empathize with.

Still, this is intelligent filmmaking, and a provocative moral fable. It may not be perfect, but it stands among the best and most realistic movies about the way we elect our leaders.

***1/2 (out of five)