Julius Caesar was told to bewar the Ides of March, but the critics would like you to know that you don’t have to avoid the film “The Ides of March” starring George Clooney and the probably-retiring Ryan Gosling.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 82% fresh rating, and the audience has given it a similar rating, 81%. The general consensus, according to Rotten Tomatoes, the film is “not exactly exposing revelatory truths, [but] ‘The Ides of March’ is [a] supremely well-acted drama that moves at a calm, confident clip.”
Individually, most of the critics loved the film, calling it “intelligent filmmaking” (Charlie McCollum, San Jose Mercury News), “a simple pleasure,” (William Goss, Film.com) and “lean, stark, and to the point [with] respect for the way conversations are conducted (Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews). But other reviewers, even the ones who gave it positive reviews, felt that the film was simply an exercise, albeit a very well-directed one. “‘The Ides of March’ is entertaining even if suspense barely builds and pay-off revelations come with little surprise,” wrote Cole Smithey (ColeSmithey.com). “‘The Ides of March’ is a well-made actors showcase and fine film. But it never finds that more,” wrote Tom Long (Detroit News).
But what did you think about the film? Did you feel the film was an intelligent, slowly-building political drama that is loosely based on the 2008 Obama campaign, or a intelligent-yet-vapid film loosely based on the 2008 Obama campaign? Give your opinions in the comments section below. At the very least, any way you slice it, everyone can agree on the Obama campaign part, what with the “Believe” posters.
