"The Ides of March" | a film review by Gary Chew

GARY CHEW/Sacramento
10/6/2011

A far better writer than I has already spread the news, or in this case, the message one takes away from George Clooney's new film, "The Ides of March." The line would be, "All the world's a stage." I would add only, that if you subscribe to Mr. Clooney messaging, those wielding or seeking power, especially elective office, trod those boards more than all other mortals.

No, not any kind of revelation. And not much different from what Robert Redford said in "The Candidate," or Gore Vidal in his play and the subsequent film, "The Best Man."

Since "The Ides of March" presents a fictional account of an Ohio presidential primary scheduled for a calendar date that proved to be, in ancient Rome, a bad hair day for Julius Caesar, Republicans will be happy to know that "The Ides of March" is just about Democrats. The screenwriters (Clooney and Grant Heslov) and the originating playwright (Beau Willimon) perceive the Party of the People as being quite adroit at betrayal.

Evan Rachel Wood and Ryan Gosling

But a quick cautionary note for conservative politicians and those who vote for them: the values homilies sprinkled across the arc of this excellent film (spoken through the characters Ryan Gosling and George Clooney inhabit) make Democrats seem like kindergartners in misrepresentation, when compared to their distinguished colleagues across the aisle.

Something about the narrative in a moment after an obligatory discussion of the cast.

It may be the best damned cast ever assembled in a contemporary American film. Only thing: Meryl Streep isn't in it, but there is a character in it who looks like Ms. Streep and does her brief appearance as I think Streep might have. Her name is Jennifer Ehle. She plays Cindy, the wife of the Governor running for the presidency.

The rest of the cast I list by actor, the character he/she does and a thumbnail of how each role plays in the complex story:

• Ryan Gosling: Stephen - 2nd banana in the Morris campaign
• George Clooney: Pennsylvania Governor Morris, a liberal Democrat
• Philip Seymour Hoffman: Paul - Morris' campaign manager
• Paul Giamatti: Tom - Morris' primary opponent's campaign manager
• Evan Rachel Wood: Molly - daughter of the DNC chairman
• Marisa Tomei: Ida - perspicacious reporter for "The Times"
• Jeffrey Wright: US Senator Thompson from North Carolina
• Gregory Itzin: Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

An asterisk should also be placed next to Itzin's name for the brief, but powerfully moving speech his character gives at the two-thirds mark.

	Ryan Gosling and Marisa Tomei

There just isn't a bad actor in the bunch. Anyone who's ever seen any of these artists in their best films knows that. It's an across-the-board great delivery from all. And Ryan Gosling can be so convincing when he brings on his empty, gaunt, existential stare that focuses on nothing.

Real TV newsies who show up briefly, or the sound of their voice is heard are: Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, John King and Charlie Rose. Less liberal, or progressive persons attached to other media are Matt Drudge and Sean Hannity. Roll Call is also mentioned.

Studying the character list just given might tip you off as to how pieces shift on the chess board while the film moves closer to the middle of March, and reveals who gets the last laugh, if anyone who does such things, as portrayed in the film, could ever laugh again without faking it. Ryan Gosling's facial expression sums that up.

Original music for "The Ides of March," to these music-lover ears, is exquisite. Alexandre Desplay wrote it and orchestrated much of it, as well. The London Symphony Orchestra performs it. Then there's Bob Mervak, a Detroit singer and pianist shown in a hotel bar scene with Gosling and Wood (depicted in the review's first photo). Mr. Mervak belts out way too few bars of the splendid Matt Dennis tune, "Angel Eyes."

As the Dennis song ends, little did I know that one of the principal characters, later in "The Ides of March, would make me think the song's closing phrase , "Excuse me, while I disappear," should be restated... but before those words could be spoken, the film fades to black.

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