Screens
Ides of March
President gas - George Clooney riffs on good people sacrificing principles in a slick package with great actors.
The suit makes the man: Philip Seymour Hoffman and George Clooney in Ides of March.
Published: October 6, 2011
Ides of March
Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wood. Directed by George Clooney.
Written by Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon. Based on Willimon's play Farragut North. Running time: 102 minutes. Rated R.
B
Less interesting for what it is, but more interesting for what it reveals itself to be, George Clooney's fourth feature as director is well done without being special, intelligent without being brilliant, and incisive without being profound. And that's not faint praise. Clooney's movies, even when they stumble (Leatherheads), are clearly the product of a craftsman who has terrific taste and knows how to entertain.
It's no coincidence that Clooney — both in front of and behind the camera — is regularly compared to other Hollywood icons. As an actor, Cary Grant and Clark Gable. As a director ... well, it depends on the film.
Ides Of March, for instance, is shot like a Michael Mann thriller but constructed like a Sidney Lumet melodrama. They're good influences in service of a good movie, and Clooney is a serious and smart enough student to know how to borrow what he needs while subverting expectations about what comes next. But the fact his influences are so obvious makes clear that we have yet to see a film the actor-director can call his own.
> Email Jeff Meyers
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
Full Feed