Featured Audience Ratings

• paul s

  
  The profession of politics is a tawdry, sordid affair; the practice of which can warp one's morals and corrupt one's soul. There, I've said it. But the art of filmmaking is not so much about what is being said, but how you say it. In "Ides of March" we… More
  The profession of politics is a tawdry, sordid affair; the practice of which can warp one's morals and corrupt one's soul. There, I've said it. But the art of filmmaking is not so much about what is being said, but how you say it. In "Ides of March" we get an adaptation of a stage play that comes alive with a brilliant script, wonderful, tight direction, and solid performances across the board from the likes of Evan Rachel Wood, Melisa Tomei, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and in particular Ryan Gosling. Of course we have to thank the co-writer of the screenplay, and the director - both embodied by George Clooney, who also steps from behind the lens and gives a terrific performance as the "perfect" candidate... I heard that Clooney was also the caterer for the project! (well, it only seems that way). Amidst the standard plot involving a presidential race, we have Machiavellian mechinations and some snappy dialog wherein not a single character gives a straight answer to anything - holding truth (or their version of it) as power. As I previously stated, it's all in how you say it: take for example the fine scene where candidate Clooney is saying grand ideological things in front of a receptive audience, while backstage, seemingly smothered by a wall sized projection of the US flag, Hoffman and Gosling discuss the back room bargaining required to get their candidate elected. So much for idealism. Late in the film the head of the Democratic party proclaims that he doesn't understand God's plan - of course he doesn't have the perspective of the true insiders who shape and twist fact and fiction to achieve their desired goal... from the campaign manager's point of view, God's plan is all too obvious and the morality... win at all costs as long as you believe in the cause. A nice sentiment and a convincing fairy tale to tell yourself as you sell your soul down the river. The script also takes a nice side step in turning the vitriol onto the populace as well as on the politicians. At one point Gosling puts it all in perspective by drawling "You want to be president? You can start a war, you can lie, you can cheat, you can bankrupt the country... but you can't fuck the interns. They'll get you for that". Shades of Monica Lewinski......and it makes you wonder - how taking bribes can be condoned (see Lobbyist in the dictionary), and yet the populace takes the moral high ground when it comes to hanky panky... somehow, as usual, we miss the bigger picture. Sure, the film doesn't tell us anything an astute person doesn't already know; however, as I earlier stated, it's not the story, but the telling. I'm not revealing hardly any plot points at all here, for I wish for you to experience this all for yourself and then reflect how seamlessly it all fits together into a concise, intelligent narrative.

• Chris W

  
  Based on some play I had previously never heard of, this is the third directorial effort from co-writer and star George Clooney. The story concerns an idealistic young junior campaign worker (press secretary) who, just days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, finds… More
  Based on some play I had previously never heard of, this is the third directorial effort from co-writer and star George Clooney. The story concerns an idealistic young junior campaign worker (press secretary) who, just days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, finds himself involved in a scandal that could derail the whole campaign, and not only that, but forces him to realize an ancient revelation: politics is a dirty dishonest business. So yeah, the movie's plot is unoriginal, the themes and revelations are likewise nothing new, but, you know what? I really didn't mind too much. It's well meaning, very engrossing, and yeah, quite interesting, despite being so stale and rather ho hum where the drama is concerned. What ultimately holds the movie together is the fairly decent writing, but, more importantly, the strong performances from a solid cast. All of them, Gosling, Clooney, Hoffman, Giamatti, Wood, Tomei, Wright, and heck, even Minghella all do a fine job. This is far from the best work from any of them, but they all put in decent work nonetheless. I can see why some awards shows have a category for casts, because seriously, this lineup just rocks. It's a shame that the material couldn't have been even stronger, but at least it's not worse. I think the best thing I can say about this movie, despite the fact that a lot of the time it is pretty routine, is that, I really don't care for politics, and for this movie to get me to care...yeah that's impressive. Nice job there. The music is good, but it kinda makes things seem more dramatic than necessary at times. It's not a slam bang thriller, so the score sticks out when it sometimes comes off that way. All in all though, this is a pretty good movie. It's not as spectacular as it should be, or as spectacular as it thinks it is, but yes, it is worth a watch, if only for the fact that it is saved by such a great cast.

• Cynthia S

  
  Well done. Great acting. Great cast.....but not the most exciting movie, in my opinion.

• Candy R

  
  I'm not really into political dramas but the characters are interesting. George Clooney's character Mike Morris runs for president. His campaign managers are working hard to win. Ryan's character Steve really believes in Mike and will not compromise his integrity to get… More
  I'm not really into political dramas but the characters are interesting. George Clooney's character Mike Morris runs for president. His campaign managers are working hard to win. Ryan's character Steve really believes in Mike and will not compromise his integrity to get ahead. Unwittingly he falls into a trap that changes the course of events for him, so he has to fight back. He covers up an affair and blackmails his way back into the top campaign job. Ryan has a great line to the effect of you can start a war, bankrupt a country but you can't have an affair with an intern. Good cast. Interesting plot but the pace was quite slow. Similar to State of Play. Directed by George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio was executive producer.

• Tired of P

  
  Directed (and co-written) by George Clooney, Cross Creek Pictures, 2011. Starring Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Even Rachel Wood and George Clooney. Genre: Drama Question: Do you ever wonder why politicians are portrayed as bad people? Well, because… More
  Directed (and co-written) by George Clooney, Cross Creek Pictures, 2011. Starring Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Even Rachel Wood and George Clooney. Genre: Drama Question: Do you ever wonder why politicians are portrayed as bad people? Well, because they usually are. Okay, sorry, I am just not a fan of politics or politicians. However, I finished watching The Ides of March a couple of hours ago, down at my local theatre, and it just reaffirmed my lack of desire to follow any political side. To be honest, I have never been particularly keen on politics. I grew up with people in my family who never really agreed on a candidate or political party. In turn, I stuck to my independent ways and mostly ignored what most politicians said (or lied about). Even when I lived in Washington, DC during the Clinton years (yes, even through the Monica Lewinsky era) when our country was pretty stable politically, I was never for nor against a particular party....Okay, I've got to stop - one of my rules is that I never discuss politics or religion so I am ending this paragraph right here. So, what should I talk about regarding The Ides of March if I can't talk about politics but the movie is a politic drama? Thinking...thinking...okay, got it. How about the acting? Well, I did post the preview on this a few months ago because I was happy to see some of my favorite actors in this film: Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ryan Gosling. They were all fantastic! They all played political strategists: the people in control behind the curtain. I mean they all had to play uber smart fellows that had to make you believe whatever they wanted you to believe even though you didn't want to believe it - just like a true political strategist. Spin, spin, spin. I particularly liked Paul Giamatti in this film. He wasn't in it enough for my taste but there is just something about his presence on-screen that screams intelligence. I should talk more about the characters or the plot line, but I really want to talk about how much my hometown was represented in this film: Cincinnati, Ohio. The story takes place mostly in Ohio where George Clooney plays the governor of Arkansas running for the democratic primary there. However, nearly the entire movie was shot in Cincinnati and in areas that I knew well, recognized and even went to all the time. It kind of was distracting for me because I knew the areas so well that when certain parts of the city were shown I immediately had a childhood memory, and some were intense memories. (Okay, now I miss those skywalks and, yes, that is where one of the scenes was shot. I know that skywalk well. It's attached to the hotel I stay at when I go back home.) Oh well.

• Saskia D

  
  I've been looking forward to watching this movie, but it failed to leave a big impression. It's about the ' dirty' in politics, but more could've been done with this I think.

• Raymond W

  
  While George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti give great performances, it's Evan Rachel Wood that stole the show for me. She can change emotions and character so fast, and it's so convincing. The story was not as great as I expected it to be,… More
  While George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti give great performances, it's Evan Rachel Wood that stole the show for me. She can change emotions and character so fast, and it's so convincing. The story was not as great as I expected it to be, but it did have a fantastic script. The Ides of March doesn't reveal any revelatory truths about politics, it does however show the corruption and the inner workings of an election race. So, if for nothing else, see the Ides of March for the fine acting on display by the whole cast, and for the tight, witty, thoughtful script.

• Alexander D

  
  Performances is the first of many great things this drama has to offer. Aside from the impressive performances by Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Evan Rachel Wood, Ryan Gosling has the main role in this film, as he did in two other films of last year, DRIVE and CRAZY,… More
  Performances is the first of many great things this drama has to offer. Aside from the impressive performances by Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Evan Rachel Wood, Ryan Gosling has the main role in this film, as he did in two other films of last year, DRIVE and CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. Even though the role he had assumed wasnâ(TM)t terribly difficult, Iâ(TM)d have to say he does a fine job, and quite believable, as well. I may be over-analyzing a bit in saying so, but the slang he uses in his dialogue, and the sense of informality he presents, helps his character gain his overall strength. If we had a man who was a straightforward, serious personality, it would be hard to believe him as someone to deal with dirty politics at all. With someone who isnâ(TM)t over the top, but noticeably a bit laid back and sarcastic, itâ(TM)s completely plausible. George Clooney was also great here, but I must mention that I was disappointed with him for various reasons. One, he wasnâ(TM)t nearly as great here as he was in his tour-de-force leading role in last yearâ(TM)s THE DESCENDANTS. But thatâ(TM)s definitely acceptable, because that last role he took on was utterly flawless, so (seeing from an actorâ(TM)s perspective) it would be quite difficult to meet those standards within the same twelve monthsâ(TM) time frame. Two, his character was far too small. Sure, Mike Morris, his character, was mentioned a lot in this film. In fact, he was the filmâ(TM)s pivotal subject. Clooney just didnâ(TM)t get enough screen time. Weâ(TM)re so used to seeing this actor (who in my opinion, is one of the greatest performers still famous in the twenty-first century) in leading roles, or at least major ones. Here, he gets five, maybe ten minutes of time on the screen. DO NOT BEWARE MY FULL REVIEW: http://themoviefreakblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/review-the-ides-of-march

• familiar s

  
  Given my comprehension capabilities, I was a bit hesitant to go for this. However, contrary to my fears, the movie wasn't too hard to grasp. But the movie wasn't interesting enough. At best, it's a mediocre political thriller IMO.

• Mark W

  
  The last time George Clooney stepped behind the camera to direct a political drama - with "Good Night And Good Luck" - he delivered a skilful and vivid dramatisation. This time, with a star-studded cast in the line-up, it looks like he just might do it again. Unfortunately,… More
  The last time George Clooney stepped behind the camera to direct a political drama - with "Good Night And Good Luck" - he delivered a skilful and vivid dramatisation. This time, with a star-studded cast in the line-up, it looks like he just might do it again. Unfortunately, this doesn't live up to expectations and ends up, quite a frustrating, indifferent attempt. Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) is an idealistic young man, helping Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) in his bid for the Presidency of the United States. However, he gets involved in a relationship with campaign volunteer Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood) and gets caught between rival campaign managers Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), which show him that candidate Morris isn't as squeaky clean as he makes out. Before he knows it, Myers is involved in a dangerous game of sex, betrayal and ambition. "The Ides of March" is a (commonly used by Shakespeare) referece to the slaying of Julias Caeser, who was stabbed to death by a group of conspirators, lead by friends, Brutus and Cassius. Using this term as it's title, you would imagine a film about politics will have some double-crossing, on the level that met Caeser, but on this evidence... not quite enough. Right from the get-go we are thrust into a political campaign and the jargon that goes along with it. It takes a little time and patience to keep up with it's constant flow of name dropping and rapid introduction of numerous characters and quite frankly, you'd be forgiven for finding it rather dull. Within the half-hour mark, it threatens to sink under it's own weight. However, once a bit of corruption is thrown into the mix, it steps up a gear and delivers some great dramatic tension. Clooney is a very fine actor but he wisely takes a back seat in the acting stakes, allowing Gosling to be the front runner, with Hoffman and Giamatti biting at his ankles. It's these three, bitterly fighting it out on the campaign, that bring the drama. When Clooney does show face again, it's adds extra spice to an already boiling pot of corruption and double-dealing. But just when the film finds it's feet, it draws to it's conclusion. The performances are all strong by the aforementioned actors but the talented likes of Marisa Tomei and Jeffrey Wright are wasted in thankless roles. Ultimately, the film masquerades as political intrigue but the message that comes across is mainly about the corruption of youth and idealism. A brilliantly assembled cast are given some juicy roles and they play them well, but like politics itself, it can be too loaded at times and leaves you feeling dissatisfied.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Mantell Director: George Clooney Summary: Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's (Ryan… More
  Cast: Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Minghella, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Mantell Director: George Clooney Summary: Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's (Ryan Gosling) idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where "victory" is relative. The film, directed by George Clooney, is inspired by the real-life experiences of an aide who worked on Howard Dean's failed 2004 run. My Thoughts: "Another great film done by the impeccable George Clooney. The film gives an interesting look at the behind scenes of a nasty politcal run for presidency. Great performances by all involved. Some of my favorites are in this movie and I couldn't wait to see them all in one film. I am not very political and probably never will be. But the film gives us a great insight of how dirty they play and how swiftly they can clean up any mess. I felt such heartbreak for the young Molly Stearns. Such a tragedy and for it to be swept away really upset me. I wanted him called out and for some type of justice for ruining her. But none is given. Disappointed with that bit, but then I guess that is the whole reason for the film. To show us how dirty the government is and can be. But then we already know that don't we."

• Alice S

  
  Ryan Gosling enunciates like a champ in this here political thriller. The second-act unravelings are a bit must-happeny though. Why is Stephen so late to pick Molly up from the Big A clinic? Why doesn't he just check his voicemail?

• Albert K

  
  A gripping thriller that manages to deliver the goods through its didactic and sharp script coupled with an outstanding ensemble cast and disciplined direction. In terms of techniques, "Ides of March" seems to get nothing wrong. There's no explosions or outlandishly… More
  A gripping thriller that manages to deliver the goods through its didactic and sharp script coupled with an outstanding ensemble cast and disciplined direction. In terms of techniques, "Ides of March" seems to get nothing wrong. There's no explosions or outlandishly far-fetched narrative arcs -- simply a very deceptive and dark tale that unfolds out with an arresting narrative.

• Anthony L

  
  As plot lines go The Ides of March is pretty predictable and not particularly original - it is the great performances from the impressive cast that makes the film entertaining. George Clooney has already proved himself a talented director and his credibility remains very much in tact,… More
  As plot lines go The Ides of March is pretty predictable and not particularly original - it is the great performances from the impressive cast that makes the film entertaining. George Clooney has already proved himself a talented director and his credibility remains very much in tact, he actually steps to one side on the acting front with this film, unselfishly and quite sensibly concentrating on the Ryan Gosling's character. He's had a good year eh, he can proudly add this to CV, as can all the supporting cast. Overall, it's a simple yet entertaining political thriller, nothing over the top but you'd have to be pretty naive for it to be a political revelation but it's entertaining all the same. I can't stand that poster though!

• Bathsheba M

  
  Starts a tad slowly, but then fullfills your worst nightmares about how politics is played. Yeah, it's dirty. Yeah, the best man doesn't always win, even if there IS a best man. Clooney is Clooney and can do no wrong, but the surprising performance was from Ryan Gosling… More
  Starts a tad slowly, but then fullfills your worst nightmares about how politics is played. Yeah, it's dirty. Yeah, the best man doesn't always win, even if there IS a best man. Clooney is Clooney and can do no wrong, but the surprising performance was from Ryan Gosling who changed in front of our eyes from a smart Wunderkind to a jaded politico. Welcome to real life, Stevie. Hoffman and Giamotti were also excellent as heart-attacks-waiting-to-happen.

• 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.

• 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.

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