Clooney's on the nose political thriller is glossy and entertaining enough to suggest growth from his pedestrian Good Night, and Good Luck, but the script still lacks character motivation and feels too overeager to crowd please. At the very least, Clooney has something of a knack of assembling a strong ensemble and putting them to good use. While Ryan Gosling looks as vacant as ever, Evan Rachel Wood has rarely been so charming and emotionally affecting. Marisa Tomei is also rather fun in a small role. Philip Seymour Hoffman turns out the kind of noisy, showy performance that seems destined for an unnecessary Supporting Actor nomination.
The twists and turns of the film's third act are relatively weak, even if they are involving. The Ides of March is convinced of its own grittiness and cynicism, even though it's not really either. The idea that you can make anything about the film's plot fresh is a tad absurd. A politician sleeping with an intern? Been there. A campaign manager who has yet to be disillusioned by the politician he's managing? Get real.
Ides just doesn't feel particularly real, which is why whenever it enters dark territory it starts to feel false. When it's more a dopey, enjoyable look behind the scenes of politics, it's at its best.
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