Posts
2011, 10-04:
Review of film: “IDES OF MARCH”
One of the more famous lines in English literature is “BEWARE the Ides of March”...
... It was spoken by an oracle in Shakespeare’s play “JULIUS CAESAR”, & makes reference to the fact that the powerful leader of the Roman Empire was about to be MURDERED (by Brutus, Longinus & other political schemers) on the 15th (= Ides) of March in 44 BCE...
... This new movie is ALSO centered in the world of politics:
... As the film starts, Steven Myers (RYAN GOSLING) is in an auditorium, making preparations for a debate appearance by his highly-regarded candidate (& EMPLOYER) Governor Mike Morris (GEORGE CLOONEY)...
... Ryan is “2nd in command” on the Election staff, working directly under Campaign manager Paul Zara (PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN)...
... While Philip does the “overall” planning re the campaign, Ryan handles the day-to-day “NITTY GRITTY” work in the campaign offices & on the road travels... His assistant is young dark-haired Ben Harpen (MAX MIGHELLA)...
... The debate in Ohio is with another candidate -- Senator Pullman (MICHAEL MANTELL) -- to help decide WHO should be the Democrat nominee to run for PRESIDENT of the United States...
... Altho only around 30, Ryan is a veteran of working for various campaigns around the country...
... He’s involved in this campaign because he deeply BELIEVES in George’s honesty, ability & agenda, feeling he’s what’s really NEEDED to make this a BETTER country (& a man who has a realistic view that can make his dreams happen for the benefit of the public)...
... In the local campaign office is a very young intern in her 20’s named Molly Stearns (EVAN RACHEL WOOD)...
... She’s the daughter of a famous broadcaster, and is very “sharp” & “on-the-ball” as she does various “GO-FER” efforts like gathering & distributing needed paperwork & other materials...
... When dealing with Ryan in “private”, Evan is almost TOO “clever”: she speaks very “SEDUCTIVELY” to him in the midst of witty retorts...
... You almost start to wonder if she’s a “PLANT” of some kind -- either from someone ELSE’S campaign or some media outlet trying to get “scoops” or the like...
... Philip has left things like the Debate details in RYAN’S hands, having gone off to try to court a 3rd candidate, Senator Thompson (JEFFREY WRIGHT)...
... Philip has left the area because he expects that -- by revealing some of George’s skillful campaign STRATEGY to Jeffrey -- he can convince him to drop OUT of the campaign & switch his already-pledged 356 or so votes to GEORGE, which would pretty much “LOCK-UP” the nomination for him...
... One of Ryan’s jobs is dealing with the various media reporters who want INFO from him. One especially “pushy” reporter trying to get some “scoops” is national newspaper reporter Ida Horowicz (MARISA TOMEI), who keeps speaking how they’re good “friends”...
... As part of “pushing” Ryan for some private info, Marisa at one point comments on how, “If your boy wins, you get a job in the WHITE HOUSE—“ but, if George loses, Ryan’s likely to just be offered a low-level job at some CONSULTING firm!...
... Ryan still doesn’t care to give her ANY real “scoop”, tho he’s “nice” to her...
... In the midst of overall campaign machinations, Ryan suddenly gets an odd PHONE call: it’s Tom Duffy (PAUL GIAMATTI), manager for the campaign of Senator PULLMAN, who’s running # 2 in national nomination votes closely behind George...
... Ryan is shocked that Paul has called him-- but intrigued to hear that he wants to discuss something very “IMPORTANT” with him...
... Ryan seems to want to try to learn some possibly-HELPFUL “private” info from Paul that might in some way aid George’s campaign-- but, could there be some more “PERSONAL” agenda involved in Ryan’s initially-hesitant willingness to MEET Paul?!...
... As they talk in a restaurant, Ryan is stunned to hear Paul work to build-up his ego by commenting on how “sharp” & “IMPORTANT” Ryan is to George’s campaign, how “all the reporters” seem to “love” & respect him, etc...
... Ryan’s even more surprised when Paul says he wants him to LEAVE George’s campaign & join him in working for the guy HE represents...
... Ryan listens attentively as Paul claims that they have Senator Thompson’s (Jeffrey’s) delegates “SEWN-UP” by having promised him a CABINET position, & thus, with those votes denied to George, Paul’s man will “surely” WIN the nomination!...
... Ryan does not let-on that PHILIP has gone to try to get Jeffrey’s delegates... He says, he feels he should not be LISTENING to Paul’s words, & he doesn’t WANT to leave George since he feels he’s by far the BETTER man for the Presidential job...
... Paul says in effect that, he feels Ryan will be sorry for making such a BAD decision & he should THINK MORE about his “offer” & get “back” to him...
... Ryan calls Philip’s CELL phone, to try to “clue-him-in” on what Paul had said-- but he just gets his voice mail, & leaves a message asking Philip to call him back ASAP about something “important”...
... Meanwhile, Evan has continued “COMING-ON” to Ryan, & eventually they get “together” in a HOTEL room for some personal NON-political “activities”...
... In time, Ryan learns Evan is even younger than he’d expected-- & that she’d been “involved” with 2 OTHER people involved in George’s campaign efforts...
... That starts to make Ryan “think-TWICE” about his commitment to George’s campaign & leery about how much things were on the “up-&-up” in it...
... Ryan keeps having more & more “second-thoughts” about things, &, when Philip returns Ryan’s earlier call & asks him what “important” thing he’d wanted to discuss, Ryan “COVERS-UP” & simply says oh, it was “NOTHING” & he’d “taken CARE” of it...
... Once Philip arrives back in town, he tells Ryan how infuriated he was at how JEFFREY had “STRUNG him along” & had NO intention of pulling out of the race & “giving” his delegates to George!...
... Once again, Ryan doesn’t TELL him of PAUL’S call & his meeting with him...
... The DEBATE time arrives, &, as expected, George does WELL in it, deflecting his opponent’s comments about his positions on matters like religion, etc...
... In a private meeting, George tells Philip & Ryan he doesn’t want to offer JEFFREY ANYTHING concrete to get him to throw his SUPPORT behind George, feeling he’s an inherently dishonest person who it’d be best to “AVOID” dealing with...
... At one point, Ryan finally decides to TELL PHILIP about Paul’s call & meeting...
... Paul is STUNNED, upset & very ANGRY about Ryan being so FOOLISH as to have MET with his opponent’s manager, & even MORE disturbed at the way Ryan had HIDDEN the NEWS about the situation for so long!...
... As Philip tells Ryan at one point, he was incredibly naïve & stupid to have agreed to MEET with Paul... And further, he himself deeply values LOYALTY from people he deals with!...
... Ryan had worked to help EVAN with a very big “personal”-type PROBLEM she’d had (which is in part related to the campaign), & she starts growing disappointed in some of his actions & “attitudes”...
... The political situation keeps “BUBBLING” more & more, & soon starts to resemble a bunch of “VOLCANOS” about to explode:
... Reporter MARISA works to in-effect BLACKMAIL Ryan, warning him that if he didn’t provide her with some “private” info she could write about, she’d release facts she’d heard that he’d MET UP with opponent PAUL & was gonna be FIRED from his position in George’s campaign over it all!...
... Ryan is shocked at her attitude & words, & tries hard to find out WHO TOLD her such confidential information...
... Was it PAUL who’d told the reporter about their meeting?... How will he “respond” when Ryan CONTACTS him again about that & “related” matters?...
... Could it have been someone in Ryan’s OWN “group” of friends or acquaintances who “told” about him to Marisa?... In any case, since such news can only HURT him, he needs to find out WHY it was done & find some way to “COMBAT” it!...
... What would be GEORGE’S reaction to the recent situations that’d transpired?...
... What shocking news would Ryan learn when he opens the door to EVAN’S room in the hotel?...
... What “secret” would he discover about GEORGE, & how will Ryan choose to handle or “USE” that news?...
... Politics has long been a “DIRTY” game, & you’ll likely feel appropriately “discomforted” & “GRUBBY” by the TWISTS & TURNS & “shifting” sands & allegiances in this CLEVERLY-concocted story!...
... I found the writing & acting in this movie TOP RATE all the way thru... George has also done a fine job as DIRECTOR of this 101-minute R-rated undertaking...
... I like skillfully done plots, especially those that can bring a bunch of SURPRISES in the “mix” as this one does. (Some things I “guessed”, while others caught me unawares...)
... Thus, to honor the SOLID, enjoyable & “THOUGHT-provoking” work inherent here, I’m rating the film at 9.00 out of 10 stars... (There MIGHT be some OSCAR nominations coming out of this film, such as for Philip...)
[ NOTE: You can easily SHARE this Posting with your friends or family by sending them an automatic e-Mail LINK via clicking on the “M” button in the lower left-hand corner under “VOICE OF SILENCE” below... ]
(o_
/\
/\
= = = [ 4 B&W I&D ] … ( <> ^ <> ) ...
* - - - - - - - - - *
Facebook: VOICE OF SILENCE
No comments:
Post a Comment