The Ides of March (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jameson W

  
  I really liked this one! Gosling and Clooney are both fantastic...

• Daniel P

  
  Powerful and shockingly short tale of the disillusionment one staffer (Ryan Gosling) experiences as he goes from idealist to realist in an effort to help his candidate (George Clooney) secure the presidential nomination. Unfairly snubbed at the Oscars, this is a taut political… More
  Powerful and shockingly short tale of the disillusionment one staffer (Ryan Gosling) experiences as he goes from idealist to realist in an effort to help his candidate (George Clooney) secure the presidential nomination. Unfairly snubbed at the Oscars, this is a taut political thriller with a stupendous ensemble cast; Paul Giamatti, in particular, stands out. Engrossing right from the start, believable and gripping, this is a great movie. I might have liked a little more closure at the end, but the abruptness will probably do it favours upon rewatching... and in a few years, we will all say, "What was the Academy thinking in 2011?" Among the best movies I saw this year.

• Kalel J

  
  As a political drama, THE IDES OF MARCH sits firmly in a dual-genre; enforcing itself as a vehicle for ideas and insights into our modern governmental systems, yet also as a form of narrative entertainment. George Clooney's latest directorial endeavour fails and succeeds at these… More
  As a political drama, THE IDES OF MARCH sits firmly in a dual-genre; enforcing itself as a vehicle for ideas and insights into our modern governmental systems, yet also as a form of narrative entertainment. George Clooney's latest directorial endeavour fails and succeeds at these two split dynamics - it is interesting in character but never in ideas; moving in tone but never in greater depth. THE IDES OF MARCH is Clooney in story mode without the ideas, it is a shallow albeit entertaining fixture surrounded by bigger themes aching for a piece of the limelight. The film hints at greater points, but ultimately means very little, which is unfortunate - because what is left is still quite good.

• Matthew S

  
  I was expecting insight into modern politics along the level of Aaron Sorkin's political screenplays, but instead we get a solid but basal drama centered around the campaign's own mediocrity, both professionally and morally.

• Jeff "

  
  I was very much looking forward to seeing The Ides of March, and though not as great as every mainstream critic has claimed it to be, the film is nonetheless a solid political thriller. George Clooney directs an effective film, and he also gives a great performance. I very much… More
  I was very much looking forward to seeing The Ides of March, and though not as great as every mainstream critic has claimed it to be, the film is nonetheless a solid political thriller. George Clooney directs an effective film, and he also gives a great performance. I very much enjoyed the film, and there are some great performances here. Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver here. Directed by George Clooney , The Ides of March is a well crafted thriller film. The cast make the film work, and entertaining. The thing that stands out the most about this film is the performances. The Ides of March may not be the best thriller, but it still is a good enough film to watch. The film has a very strong cast, and like I said, it's what makes this film work. Overall this is a well made film that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Ryan Gosling delivers here and adds a lot to the film. I very much enjoyed the film, and it gives us a glance at political scandals and such. The performances are great, and George Clooney directs an effective thriller. Despite its flaws, this is a good film that is very thrilling. A solid directorial effort, The Ides of March is a must see film. The story is well written, and with a great cast like this, it definitely is worth your time. The Ides of March is one of the best thrillers I've seen in quite some time. The film has its flaws, but overall it's a solid enough film to watch and be entertained.

• Tim S

  
  A well acted and well made drama that wasn't anything groundbreaking, but still made for an entertaining watch. All the actors involved are great, but they're all great actors so it wasn't surprising. Good, but not great.

• Sarah G

  
  Ryan Gosling is brilliant as always but I couldn't help wondering Ides of the March was trying to be something is was not. We have become accustomed to many political thrillers in Hollywood that this for me, just wasn't anything special as some of the hype as led us to… More
  Ryan Gosling is brilliant as always but I couldn't help wondering Ides of the March was trying to be something is was not. We have become accustomed to many political thrillers in Hollywood that this for me, just wasn't anything special as some of the hype as led us to believe. Doesn't quite take off until the middle of the film but this may be down to performances from Gosling and Seymour-Hoffman. I was expecting something much different from the same man who brought us the brilliant Good Night and Good Luck, just felt a little underwhelmed by Ides of The March. Worth a watch to see the talents of the brilliant Ryan Gosling.

• Shawn E

  
  A gripping drama with a terrific cast about political scandals and the ruthlessness one would commit to get ahead.

• Matt G

  
  Ryan Gosling never fails to disappoint, but The Ides of March is not engaging enough to warrant any award-recognition (except a nod for Gosling).

• Dan S

  
  A disappointing dirty politics story concerning a young, ambitious press secretary (Ryan Gosling) who gets in too deep over his head when his loyalty is questioned by the senior campaign manager (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) of the presidential candidate (George Clooney) that they are… More
  A disappointing dirty politics story concerning a young, ambitious press secretary (Ryan Gosling) who gets in too deep over his head when his loyalty is questioned by the senior campaign manager (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) of the presidential candidate (George Clooney) that they are both representing. This is a movie that definitely takes itself seriously, as director Clooney definitely gets his word in concerning major political issues and where we are headed. If only the plot took itself as seriously as its lead character, it might have been a rousing success. Instead it is only an average offering, due to a robotic, scarcely emotional performance from Gosling, and a love triangle that is too ridiculous a stretch to disregard. The film has style, and some nice noir-ish underpinnings that help keep one impressed concerning how it is done, but one can not escape the hollow love story between Gosling and Evan Rachel Wood (which feels so forced), which ultimately proves to have a huge affect on the story's outcome. Not bad, but definitely missable - "Primary Colors" is the superior film of the presidential campaign films that come to mind, mostly because, unlike 'Ides', it also knows it can have a sense of humor as well, which goes a long way.

• Melvin W

  
  Stephen Meyers: You can lie, you can cheat, you can start a war, you can bankrupt the country, but you can't fuck the interns. They get you for that.  "Ambition Seduces. Power Corrupts." Back room politics is much more entertaining than the dull stuff we see on the… More
  Stephen Meyers: You can lie, you can cheat, you can start a war, you can bankrupt the country, but you can't fuck the interns. They get you for that.  "Ambition Seduces. Power Corrupts." Back room politics is much more entertaining than the dull stuff we see on the news daily. George Clooney's The Ides of March does a good job balancing the thrills of the scandal that is taking place with credible and realistic politics. This is said to be based on Howard Dean's 2004 presidential run. I can see everything about this story being true, and if you think about it, it's all very scary. I know none of this is really new. We know politicians are liars, even the president. But there is nothing going on with this presidential candidate that would make him a good leader, and despite even knowing all the stuff that is going on behind the scenes; he is a smooth talker and you believe him. And with the help of Stephen Myers, there's nothing he couldn't make you believe. If I had watched this at a younger age, I know I wouldn't have like it as much. I would have found it dull, despite it's stylistic nature, and probably wouldn't have cared. But now that I've reached an age where politics actually does matter to me, this was a great watch. It demonstrates a lot of the things that are wrong with are system. Presidential candidate Mike Morris talks of integrity, but he really has none. He lies and he is corrupt.  We are initially deceived by Stephen Myers, a young, but experienced and intelligent staffer. He seems like he really wants what is best for the people. He believes in Mike Morris because he will actually create change and affect people's lives in a positive way. Then Stephen finds out a dark secret about Morris. From there... well read the tagline. Clooney directs this with extreme precision. He makes the film as entertaining as was possible without gimmicks. The screenplay that he co-wrote is intelligent. This cast doesn't hurt things either. Gosling's the star, and one of the best young actors we have right now. Clooney is the veteran playing Morris, and he gives a terrific performance as you would expect. Then there's a great supporting cast with names like Giammati, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Tomei. With Clooney's smart direction and a cast like this, it has to be good.  When I first saw the trailer for this months before it came out, I said to myself, this is going to win Best Picture. Well that isn't going to happen, but still it is as solid a political thriller as I could have hoped for. Clooney keeps showing that he isn't going to back down from making quality movies just because of his stardom. He keeps taking on challenging movies, as an actor and as a director, when many stars start looking for those quick paychecks. 

• Carlos M

  
  Clooney proves once again his talent to direct intelligent films that rely on exquisite dialogue. This intriguing character study is absolutely gripping and fascinating from the first scene to the last, focusing on a brilliant political strategy game and with an intense performance by… More
  Clooney proves once again his talent to direct intelligent films that rely on exquisite dialogue. This intriguing character study is absolutely gripping and fascinating from the first scene to the last, focusing on a brilliant political strategy game and with an intense performance by the always fantastic Ryan Gosling.

• Zack B

  
  It's a well-written, well-performed story that's crafted in a fairly boring manner. Gosling proves he's the cream of the crop for today's leading-male brand actor, Clooney hides dark secrets behind that smug grin just as we'd expect, and this film wins the… More
  It's a well-written, well-performed story that's crafted in a fairly boring manner. Gosling proves he's the cream of the crop for today's leading-male brand actor, Clooney hides dark secrets behind that smug grin just as we'd expect, and this film wins the award for realizing that Hoffman and Giamatti are Gemini twins in the cosmic family of brilliant character actors. The dialogue feels fresh and relevant without being contrived, and the bits of political rhetoric are just annoying enough to feel truthful. The story may be full of buzz issues and dramatic cliche, but in a political sphere where a war of empty words can still feel razor sharp, personal, and devastating to those of us who "drink the koolaid" for certain candidates or issues, it matches the setting well and, moreover, allows us to actually decide whether we like our protagonist and his counterparts or not -- a decision so often forced upon us in films no matter how flawed our hero might be. That said, Clooney's direction feels rather choice-less, particularly early on, with a few exceptions -- Gosling's silhouette overpowered by a giant American flag, an unseen scene in the back of a campaign car, and a slow pan through the world's creepiest kitchen among them -- but the impulse to just let his talented cast do their work in front of a couple cameras was certainly a good one. Finally, I'd suggest training yourself to substitute your favorite non-mainstream American political parties every time they say "Democrat" or "Republican" (Bull-Moose vs. The Rent Is Too Damn High, perhaps?), or whatever else you need to do, because the film clearly isn't about any particular affiliation or stance, and I've heard too many people complain about its simplification or inaccuracy towards party stereotypes. What it successfully deals with in its political metaphor is our most basic human impulse: self-preservation. Stories rarely get more compelling than that.

• Mario L M

  
  There are a lot of reasons to want to like The Ides of March. It's co-written, directed by and features a supporting performance from George Clooney, it stars the very good Ryan Gosling along the very strong bench of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood and… More
  There are a lot of reasons to want to like The Ides of March. It's co-written, directed by and features a supporting performance from George Clooney, it stars the very good Ryan Gosling along the very strong bench of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood and it's about the sharp contrast between egalitarian ideals and less than noble private behavior that has come to define modern politics. One could reasonably expect that with the film's cast and pedigree - Ides is adapted from the award winning play Farragut North by Beau Willimon- that it would be a quality political dissection in the vein of All the Presidents Men or In the Loop. As it turns out the film plays out as a star studded TV movie. The film follows Clooney as democratic governor who aims to secure his party's nomination for president. Gosling plays a talented and unrealistically naive adviser to Clooney who works for Hoffman's veteran campaign manager. Gosling slowly begins losing his cartoonish idealism after making two stunningly bad decisions; starting a relationship with Evan Rachel Wood's politically connected volunteer and taking a meeting with Giamatti's rival campaign manager and not telling his boss about it. Again, taken as individual parts, this film seems like it should be one of the can't miss films of the year but when considering the scale of its ambitions and the thoroughness of its failure, it be might of the of the worst. There are bright spots in the film, though not one scene in it stands out as being particularly compelling. Giamatti and Hoffman put in performances that are better than the film deserves. Neither actor is given a particularly fleshed out character and both men could have coasted on our collective enjoyment of their prior performances but they both turn in three dimensional performances of men who been in combat so long that the everyday faith destroying machinations of career politics barely warrant a furrowed brow. That lived in weariness should have been the tone for a film as inside baseball as Ides attempts to be instead of its marginalia. Also putting in standout work is Evan Rachel Wood, playing one of two characters in the film who have actual arc, who gives a layered, heartfelt performance as a young woman who is trapped in an ever worsening situation. She makes you feel her increasing desperation and disappointment as she realizes that for all her talent and ambition she's like more than a human stress ball for the campaign's best and brightest. As the film concludes and her character becomes a chess piece between Gosling and Clooney, one can't help but wonder what the film would have been like if told from her character's perspective. It's one of the many times when watching Ides that I wondered at how good it could have been if only a few key choices in the film's development had been better ones. Such as those that were made by the film's leading man. If Ryan Gosling brought even half as much heart to his role as the world's only non-cynical campaign strategist then Ides of March would have been a deeply flawed but interesting film but since he doesn't we're left with a film that comes off as a poor lyconceived Huffington Post article. Gosling, who was so good in Blue Valentine and Drive, totally phones it in here. You never get the sense that Gosling's character is as brilliant as the film tries to paint him. His character's devotion to Clooney's liberal fantasy of a politician doesn't make a lot of sense given how uninspiring Clooney's character is when he isn't giving his stump speech. Clooney and his cowriter Grant Heslov seemed so invested in making Gosling likable that they let believability fly out of the window. It's unrealistic to believe someone who's behind a national campaign wouldn't realize that loyalty has to come before ambition and that a rival politician's camp might not have the best of intentions when inviting him to lunch. This suspension of disbelief shattering naiveté could have been overcome had Clooney's character been as compelling a figure as Barrack Obama was in 2008 or had Gosling character's been a low level staffer who rose through the ranks as he became more ruthless and jaded but that not the story of Ides' aim to tell. It's the story of a principled and intelligent young man who is demonstrably neither of those things by the end of the film. And while some of the blame for Ides' failure can be ascribed to Gosling's uninspired work, the film is ultimately the responsibility of George Clooney. Normally, one of our finest working actors, is boring and lazy here. His character is essentially 90% Clooney if he ran for office and 10% Bill Clinton pastiche. There's no sense in the film of what motivates his character to seek the presidency or illicit campaign sex. His character is flat enigma the whole way through. Clooney also falls down as a director, giving the film no sense of time or place. This may be because Clooney was aiming for timelessness but the film comes off as merely apocryphal. The film also has an uneven tone, veering uncomfortable between sheepish comedy and laden drama with no verve or bite. It's one of the most lackadaisically paced thrillers I've ever seen. And the film's message, that politics corrupts even the most altruistically inclined, has been better communicated by freshmen pol-sci essays. The Ides of March is a film ostensibly made for adults that feels like it was made by children. George Clooney gathered together a cast that would be the envy of any filmmaker and wasted them all in a film that's so po-faced and bland that it would have embarrassed a high school drama club. With a director who had a firmer grasp on his subject matter or leading performer who was more committed to being as ugly and cruel as American politics are this movie could have been something great. As it is, it's the kind of movie that's not even worth watching on a long flight.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Ambition seduces. Power corrupts."</i> An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"Ambition seduces. Power corrupts."</i> An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> In one sense, this is George Clooney's film and I have been a fan of his since forever. Not only does he direct (his fourth such outing), he is co-producer and co-writer as well as taking a lead role as the charismatic and liberal contender to win the Democratic nomination for the White House. In another sense, this is Ryan Gosling's movie and I've been impressed by him since Half Nelson and especially his powerhouse performance in Drive. He is the face we see first and last in this story and he plays the pivotal character, the idealistic press officer to the candidate. But there is even more acting talent on display, notably Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti who are both terrific as heads of campaign for rival Democratic candidates in the key primary of Ohio in the melting snows of March. What attracted such a stellar cast and gives them such a vehicle to shine is a sharp script, based on a play by co-writer Beau Willimon who was himself once a key aide to a political candidate. The play was called Farragut North which is the nearest metro station in Washington DC to the hub of lobbyist organisations in the capital. For an international audience, The Ides Of March works better as a title, giving us not just a calendar reference but a clear indication that we are going to experience more than one act of betrayal. In The Ides Of March, everyone is compelled sooner or later to make compromises which represent an abandonment of principles. The plot details do not bear too much post- viewing analysis, but this is an intelligent and serious work that captures some of the flavour of American political campaigning and the pressures to sacrifice means for ends faced by decision-makers everywhere.

• Jennifer X

  
  You can kind of tell George Clooney hasn't completely found his footing with the whole directing thing. At times events can seem terribly underplayed, other times they are horrendously bombastic. (Like what was up with that whole chiaroscuro lightning? That stuff went out of… More
  You can kind of tell George Clooney hasn't completely found his footing with the whole directing thing. At times events can seem terribly underplayed, other times they are horrendously bombastic. (Like what was up with that whole chiaroscuro lightning? That stuff went out of fashion when the film noir died out.) But for the most part it does the job (I think mainly due to Gosling's incredible charisma and excellent supporting roles from the entire cast), remaining entertaining and non-boring for the majority of its run time. That's more than I can about a lot of films that were released this year. And plus, it was filmed in Ann Arbor! Law Quad + State St. REPRESENT.

• Manu G

  
  An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Very good Film! Amazing acting roles by Clooney and Gosling characters, they were absolutely stunning. I really don't know if Clooney is… More
  An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Very good Film! Amazing acting roles by Clooney and Gosling characters, they were absolutely stunning. I really don't know if Clooney is better at directing and producing films than him as an actor because they go hand to hand, simply a very talented human being at the film industry. This film is dirty politics at its best! I love the story and script, simply enriching. This is more of a character drama ... how far can your ideals and morals carry you. What is your breaking point? Where is the line between realist and idealist? Is it betrayal if you act for the right reason? The final shot of film is superb. Go watch it! Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) strolls up to a podium in an auditorium and begins to speak on his religious preferences. He then begins to whistle and whisper into the microphone. An audio technician comes up, and they adjust the volume. Stephen isn't a candidate but one of the main staffers for a candidate. He tells the guys on the stage to fix the audio and add padding to Gov. Mike Morris (George Clooney) side, so his height will match his opponent. It's election time, and Governor Mike Morris, a popular, idealistic candidate is going up against Senator Pullman in a Democratic primary. They have been campaigning hard, with Morris having a slight lead over Pullman. But Ohio is a crucial state. It is clear whoever wins Ohio, will win the nomination and will go on to run for President. Morris and Pullman have their debate in which Pullman questions Morris' views on religion. Morris deflects them easily saying he was a former catholic and does not know what happens after death. All he knows is he is not an atheist, Jewish, Muslim, or any other religion association. His religion is the constitution, and he will fight to protect it. The debate over, the two shake hands. Stephen and Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), the senior campaign manager to Morris bump into Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti). Duffy is the head campaign manager for Pullman. Duffy and Stephen banter about how well Morris did in the debate. "Be careful." Duffy says to Paul, "I might want to steal him from you." Duffy leaves and Paul calls him an asshole. Paul and Stephen have dinner with Ida (Marisa Tomei) a reporter they are both friendly with. Ida asks for a quote about Ohio and Paul says he will only say he is confident they will win. Nothing is guaranteed, and he will not go on record saying they will win if it blows up in their face. Paul asks Stephen about the race. "It's ours for the taking." Stephen says. Paul excuses himself, so Ida turns her attentions to Stephen. Stephen notes he has been on more campaigns than most people have when they're 40, and he has never seen a guy like Morris. Ida scoffs at his optimism. "It won't matter." Ida says. If Morris wins, Stephen gets a job at the White House. If he loses, Stephen will get a high paying consulting job somewhere on K Street. Ida doesn't buy into his idealism, thinking all politicians are the same. At Morris HQ the next day, Stephen crosses paths with Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), an intern he had worked with before. Molly mentions the dive bar most of the interns go to and invites Stephen to have a drink with her the next night. Stephen agrees. Paul has a meeting with Senator Thompson (Jeffery Wright) at his home. They need his endorsement so that his delegates will vote his way. Paul tells him that much. Thompson doesn't respond. It's clear he wants something. Stephen and Morris have a meeting with the staffers. Stephen tells Morris he should go all the way on one of his policies; mandatory service via army, peace corp etc. in return for college tuition being paid. Stephen says it is win win; most will like it, and the ones who won't are too young to vote. Stephen gets a call from his father and excuses himself. But it is not his dad. It is Duffy asking if he has five minutes. Stephen says they cannot talk but Duffy presses for a meeting, saying they will meet in a small bar where no one will see them. Stephen calls Paul and leaves a message and tells him that it's important. At the bar, Duffy cuts to the chase; he thinks Stephen is working for the wrong man. Duffy wants to recruit Stephen to Pullman's camp. They already promised Senator Thompson a cabinet position, so the race is basically over. He can be with the winners, or he can stay and lose. Stephen refuses outright, saying he doesn't have to play dirty politics anymore. "I got Morris!" Stephen says. Stephen goes to leave, and Duffy asks him. "Do you want to work for your friend or the President?" Duffy states cold, hard facts; Republicans are better at the game. They are more ruthless and cunning, and Democrats refuse to "get in the mud with the fucking elephants." Stephen is called by Paul asking what was wrong. Stephen lies and says it was nothing. Molly and Stephen go for a drink that night. Molly reveals her father is Jack Stearne (Gregory Itzin), the DNC chairman and that he is an asshole. Molly asks how old Stephen is, and she correctly guesses 30. Molly reveals that she is 20. Molly asks if it's too much of an age gap for a 20 year old to want to fuck a 30 year old. Stephen asks when she has to work tomorrow. Molly says nine. Molly happens to have the keys to the campaign bus, so they use it and drive back to Stephen's hotel, parking on the curb. The morning after. Stephen and Molly had slept together the night before and are getting dressed for work. Molly's dad comes on the television, and Stephen watches and realizes the irony of watching the dad of the girl he just had sex with. Stephen asks she stay quiet about their dalliance and Molly promises to. Molly confesses she wanted to sleep with him for awhile and thinks she's a bit "slutty" for being so aggressive. Stephen says she wasn't and he respects her for being so forward. They kiss, and go their separate ways. Stephen, Morris, and several staffers including Ben Harpen (Max Minghella) are on a plane going to another speech. The plane shakes a little bit, and Stephen gets queasy. Morris asks if he is all right. "We're going to be fine. We have to do it, it's the right thing to do, and nothing bad happens when you're doing the right thing." Stephen says. "Is that your personal theory?" Morris asks. "Because I can shoot holes in it." "Well there is exceptions to every rule." Stephen says. Morris asks if they are doing OK in the polls. Stephen says they are doing great. Morris tells him not to talk like Paul; Paul is paid to kiss his ass. Stephen is here to tell it to him straight. Stephen reiterates that it will be close, but they will be fine. Stephen makes his whole philosophy clear by saying, "I'll do or say anything if I believe in it. But I have to believe in the cause." Morris does another speech to a younger crowd, who are also key voters. In the back, Stephen confesses to Paul that he met with Tom Duffy. He offered him a job and explained that Sen. Thompson is being promised a cabinet position. Paul is enraged that Stephen lied to him. Stephen says he thought it didn't matter. "It doesn't matter what you thought! It matters what you did. It matters what you DIDN"T do!" Paul screams. Paul tells Stephen to find an empty room. They are going to talk to Morris after the speech. Morris finds out about Senator Thompson wanting to be Secretary of State in exchange for his endorsement. Morris refuses to budge saying they need win Ohio another way. Morris' team hits the pavement trying to rally support and do damage control in light of recent developments. Morris and his wife Cindy talk in the car. Cindy tells him to give Thompson what he wants so they can win. Stephen and the staffers are on the bus when he gets a IM from Molly asking if he wants to meet up again. They have sex again, but Stephen gets distracted by Morris on TV. They both laugh over the mood being broken. Later, Molly is sleeping when her phone goes off. Stephen answers it, but they hang up. Stephen wakes her up and asks who would call her this late. Stephen says he'll call back but Molly pleads for him not to. We find out why. It is Morris' cell phone. Stunned, Stephen asks why she is calling the governor. Molly cracks and tells him Morris and she had an affair one time. Stephen asks why she is calling him again. "Because I need 900 dollars." Molly says (she's pregnant). Molly says she can't go to her father because they are Catholic. Stephen is blown away; his squeaky clean candidate is more dirty than he thought. The next day, Stephen tells Ben to take out the maximum petty cash they can withdraw (500). He meets with Molly, telling her to meet him later. Stephen meets with Ida who drops a bombshell; she knows about his meeting with Tom Duffy. Stephen tries to deny it, but Ida reveals unless he gives her information on Thompson, she leak his story. Stephen says he thought they were friends. Ida scoffs, saying they are only friends because he gives scoops and she writes them in a favorable light. Stephen calls Duffy who denies leaking the story. Stephen sees some men taking pictures and gets paranoid. He hangs up. Stephen meets Molly with $1,800. She needs to get an abortion and then go home. She can no longer work on the campaign. Stephen said she made a big mistake and has to pay for it. He will take her to the clinic and take her to the hotel afterwards. Stephen takes Molly to the clinic, promising to pick her up afterward. Stephen meets with Paul, talking about how they need to spin the Duffy/Stephen meeting. Ben is in the room, as well. Paul reveals he leaked the story. It will give them justification to fire him from the campaign. Stephen is shocked, but Paul goes on a monologue about loyalty. When Paul first started, he was working with a no name politician. The opposing side tried to poach him, but Paul was honest and told his candidate. His boss said he will not stop him from leaving, but Paul stayed loyal to him. They lost, but three years later, the guy ran for governor, using Paul as his manager and they won. "There is only one thing in this world I value which is loyalty. Without it, you're nothing." Paul says. Paul tells Stephen he is fired, and Morris agrees with it. It is not because he isn't good, or he doesn't like him. It's because they can't trust him. Molly is never picked up by Stephen. She eventually has to take a cab back to the hotel. Ben is in her room saying he just got promoted to Stephen's job and Stephen was fired threatening to bring everyone down. Molly is scared, thinking she is about to be used as a pawn in Stephen's game. Stephen meets with Tom Duffy saying he wants in. Duffy says he knows he just got fired, and it will look bad if they take him on. "What if I have something? Something big." Stephen asks. Duffy still won't agree. Realization washes over Stephen. "You never intended on hiring me." he says. Duffy talks around the issue but eventually admits it more or less. If he played off Paul's ethics of loyalty so he would fire Stephen, they could poach him. If they didn't want him, Paul and Morris still wouldn't have him. Duffy would still cause a large blow to Morris' campaign. Stephen is enraged, but Duffy tells him to leave politics because soon he will become jaded and cynical like the rest of them, and it will crush his idealistic soul. Stephen goes back to the hotel and sees a man rush out of Molly's room. He goes inside and sees her body on the floor. She killed herself. Stephen eyes her phone and steals it. He listens to her voicemail, pleading for him not to do anything rash (like leak her affair with Morris). Tears brim in his eyes. Steven meets with Thompson, who seems to not know he was fired. Thompson reveals that he wants the cabinet position, and if he does not have confirmation from Morris by the next day, he will endorse Pullman. Stephen listens, stoically. Morris holds a press conference about Molly's death, claiming not to know her too well. He gets a call from Molly's cell. Morris sees Stephen. The message is clear. Stephen wants to meet. Stephen meets Morris in an empty restaurant. Stephen tells Morris to listen. He is going to fire Paul. Stephen will take over as the head manager. Morris WILL endorse Thompson and get his delegates support. They will win the primary and thus the nomination. Morris asks what he thinks he has. Stephen tells him that you can do a lot in this country; you can start wars, ruin the budget, take bribes. "But you can't fuck the interns." Stephen grimly states. Morris is defiant, telling him that everything is circumstantial. Stephen tells him that she was pregnant, and he took her to the clinic. Morris goes on the defensive. The girl is dead. Since she had an abortion, there is no DNA evidence. It will just be Stephen's word versus his. And he is just a disgruntled ex-staff member. Stephen says there was a note he took. Morris freezes momentarily. However, he quickly deduces there is no note and tells Stephen so. "It's your call." Stephen says. Paul is getting a haircut and walks out a barbershop the next day. Morris is nearby in his SUV asking to talk for a minute. We don't see or hear the conversation, but Paul gets out stunned. He has been fired. Paul later gets on TV, claiming new positive numbers made him, and Morris mutually decide to hand it over to someone different (Stephen). Stephen attends Molly's funeral while her father cries at the pulpit saying his daughter was a good person that enriched everyone she knew. Stephen talks to Paul, who reveals he knew Molly since she was born. Morris doesn't attend the funeral, claiming to be working with Thompson, but Stephen knows the real reason why. Paul notes he got a consulting job on K Street for a million a year, a cushy job "where people won't fuck you over." Paul says that he and Stephen should have a beer one day, and Stephen can tell him what he had on Morris to make him fire Paul. Thompson endorses Morris and asks for his delegates support in voting for Morris. Stephen watches from the crowd, apathetically watching as Thompson and Morris speak in platitudes when he knows their real character and motivations. Ben is working in an office when a new intern, a brunette dead ringer for Molly introduces herself as Jill Morris (no relation). Stephen is walking to an interview when he is stopped by Ida, asking if he wants to comment on a story she is doing. Ida claims that Stephen handed the Thompson endorsement to Morris and that he got Paul fired. Stephen dodges her questions. Ida pleads with him, saying, they are friends, right? Stephen looks at her and says, "You're my best friend." Stephen sits in a chair to do a TV interview. As they put an earpiece in and check the audio, Stephen sits in the chair in silence and meditates on the past couple weeks. Duffy's grim prediction has rung true; he is no longer hopeful about the future of politics. He is just another cog in the machine. Nothing ever changes. The only thing that has, is him. His idealism has been irrevocably shattered. He was willing to use Molly, a scared, young girl to get back at Morris and Paul. His actions indirectly caused her suicide. Stephen listens as Morris gives his speech mentioning that integrity and dignity matters. Stephen now knows Morris has neither. Morris for all his talk is just like the rest of the politicians. He made serious mistakes, and when pushed came to shove he failed the test of character. Rather than own up to them, he swept his scandal under the rug and fired his loyal friend in order to cover up his transgressions. The news broadcaster comes into the earpiece, saying they are speaking to new head manager of the Morris campaign, Stephen Myers. The newscaster asks him how recent upheavals including Thompson's endorsement came to be. Stephen stares at the camera with a blank, chilling expression.

• Alireza M

  
  I hardly care about characters of Clooney's movies. Once again stupid politic games, uninteresting characters and mechanical and spiritless dialogues. Never liked Clooney as a director ,Good night and Good Luck, Leatherheads and his recent one proves that Clooney has no vision… More
  I hardly care about characters of Clooney's movies. Once again stupid politic games, uninteresting characters and mechanical and spiritless dialogues. Never liked Clooney as a director ,Good night and Good Luck, Leatherheads and his recent one proves that Clooney has no vision and doesn't know anything about life to share it with the audience .He never focused on the characters personalities .A good political movie at first should be a personal movie.

• Everett J

  
  Ryan Gosling is having a great year performance wise. First he was charming in "Crazy, Stupid, Love". Then in "Drive" he was dangerous and was a pure bad ass. "The Ides of March" showcase an intellectual side and his ability to hold his own with other… More
  Ryan Gosling is having a great year performance wise. First he was charming in "Crazy, Stupid, Love". Then in "Drive" he was dangerous and was a pure bad ass. "The Ides of March" showcase an intellectual side and his ability to hold his own with other great actors like George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. This political drama may not be the best movie, but it is very well acted. "March" follows a presidential primary contest in Ohio, revolving around former governor Morris(Clooney) and Senator Thompson(Jeffrey Wright). The two candidates really play in the backdrop for the real story about a scandal that forces Morris's campaign press secretary(Gosling) to get involved, and threatens to derail his campaign all together. Slow and very political, the film plays to it's strength which is the performances. Gosling is great, and really the main reason to watch this movie. Movies about political scandals have been done to death, and usually better. This really is a generic movie, featuring a terrific cast. Worth at least a watch, unless your not into politics. If you like political thrillers I'd recommend "State of Play" over this.

• Derek A

  
  Uncompromisingly realistic, this political drama clicks on all cylinders. Hopefully Clooney and Gosling get high accolades for their performances here.

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