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THE IDES OF MARCHMovie Reviews
Drama about an up-and-coming campaign press secretary involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate's shot at the presidency. Cast:Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul GiamattiDirector:George ClooneyRelease Date:October 7, 2011DVD Release:January 17, 2012From:Sony PicturesRating:RLength:1 hr 38 min
The Ides of March played to very good reviews. • Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "...impeccably acted and grippingly paced.... smart, invigorating entertainment that reminds you the only person you can trust less than a used car salesman is a politician." • And Mara Reinstein wrote in Us Weekly, "...cold-blooded, cynical -- and utterly captivating.... delivers with crisp dialogue, simmering tension and top-shelf acting." More Reviews Below...
The Ides of March Positive Reviews (50 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: VERY GOOD "...smart political drama.... a film stuffed with savvy work by veteran players... Gosling has studied Clooney's ease in being watched and adored..."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 09/02/11
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...meaty and weighty and relevant, exactly the kind of material that appeals to Clooney... But it doesn't tell us much that we didn't already know..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 636 words, 10/06/11
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...what's new is that Clooney exposes how in our era the thorny process of politics has become the content, blotting out the meaning of policy... a savvy lament..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 752 words, 10/07/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a big, bruisingly funny moral fable etched in acid and Obama disillusion.... All the actors deserve high praise.... consistently gripping..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 09/30/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...grows a little overheated but works particularly well as a morality tale about power and its tendency to corrupt absolutely.... stylishly rendered..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 10/07/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Clooney the director brings his actor's experience to the job... The impression remains, however, that he believes this movie to be more of an expose than it is."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 847 words, 10/07/11
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...may be Clooney's most successful picture yet... A lean, clear-eyed, square-jawed, finely calibrated and lightning-bolt-vivid political thriller..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 699 words, 10/05/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...deals mainly in platitudes and abstractions, with just enough detail to hold your interest and keep you hoping for something more. Kind of like a campaign speech..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,081 words, 10/07/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Just as we're appreciating Clooney's incisive take on American affairs he backs off, into the safe distraction of clichés and melodrama."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 372 words, 10/07/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the actual plot that everything is at the service of is disappointing.... an intelligent, involving picture that feels all too real -- until it doesn't."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 704 words, 10/07/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...director Clooney respects the pacing and the rhythms of another moviemaking era. The material may be shallow but it's not shrill."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 649 words, 10/07/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "Fine acting, but this rehash of the Clinton sex scandal feels outdated and irrelevant to today's more complicated political landscape."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 580 words, 10/07/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "Even if you share the view that politics at present is the pits, it's a stupid, tiresome trajectory.... second-rate writing and third-rate melodrama..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 10/03/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Clooney the director brings his actor's experience to the job... The impression remains, however, that he believes this movie to be more of an expose than it is."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 847 words, 10/07/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Ryan Gosling and Clooney lead a crack cast that also includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright and Marisa Tomei..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 877 words, 10/07/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Without anyone noticing, George Clooney has become one of the best directors of actors. He gets them to relax and in so doing brings out their strongest performances."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 10/06/11
KEY CITIES (14 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...well-crafted but ultimately empty.... Rather than probe the system it abhors, the film is content simply to reassure the audience that it's still rotting from within..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 785 words, 10/07/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Clooney directs his fellow performers with an actor's appreciation of their craft. He comes in close on those expressive faces and lets the magic happen."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 10/07/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a knowing look at the machinations of a political campaign, with its established and somewhat bizarre rituals... there's not a bad performance... Gosling is outstanding."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 648 words, 10/07/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "George Clooney has some shocking news: Politics is a dirty business.... The filmmaking is shallow but assured, the star charisma thoughtful but undimmed."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 10/07/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "There is no point in discounting smart, engrossing entertainment like 'The Ides of March,' though it's hard not to notice when a film that could have been great falls short."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 661 words, 10/07/11
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "What really shines is the jigsaw plot (based on a play)... the film is so thoroughly set in the real, contemporary world."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 10/07/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "Anyone disagreeing with Clooney's politics in real life might wince during the first act and feel smug during the third. It's a bleaker film than 'Good Night, and Good Luck'..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 10/06/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...impeccably acted and grippingly paced.... invigorating entertainment that reminds you the only person you can trust less than a used car salesman is a politician."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 10/07/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...goes down easily... But it all feels a bit inconsequential -- perhaps by design.... it's slick and respectable, and delivering old news."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 289 words, 09/09/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "Clooney orchestrates the action nimbly and with a degree of caginess -- he seems to enjoy the process of letting the cat out of the bag only bit by bit."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 819 words, 10/06/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Without anyone noticing, George Clooney has become one of the best directors of actors. He gets them to relax and in so doing brings out their strongest performances."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 10/06/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: MODERATE(cg) "...moves at a surprisingly leisurely pace.... resembles the kind of candidate with superficial charms but no fire in the belly."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 439 words, 10/05/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "I love this movie because it's exciting about ideas.... It's all about stuff that really matters, such as: What does it mean -- really mean -- to be a principled person?"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 10/08/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: MODERATE "...the news the story brings may be perfectly accurate, but it isn't particularly original... Words fly, some of them medium-witty, but lightning doesn't strike."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 10/07/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...deals mainly in platitudes and abstractions, with just enough detail to hold your interest and keep you hoping for something more. Kind of like a campaign speech..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,081 words, 10/07/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: MODERATE "...without more than a sprinkling of voters in the frame, and with even Morris's campaign headquarters retaining a weird and orderly calm, the tale runs out of air."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,592 words, 10/03/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the actual plot that everything is at the service of is disappointing.... an intelligent, involving picture that feels all too real -- until it doesn't."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 704 words, 10/07/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: MODERATE "...adds up to less than it appears to be at first glance, or even the first several glances.... somehow remains static and lifeless, like a civics-class diorama."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 10/06/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD "...a fortuitous marriage of actor and director, with Clooney clearing out the middle of the film to let Gosling's natural gravity and watchfulness be the focus..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 961 words, 09/12/11
Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...shifts into a film noir mode which is not unpleasant, but certainly less than could have been hoped for by the film's piquant and original first half."(See all of Deborah Young's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 913 words, 08/31/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the actual plot that everything is at the service of is disappointing.... an intelligent, involving picture that feels all too real -- until it doesn't."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 704 words, 10/07/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a timely, well-executed political-paranoia thriller and classic Faustian morality tale that's impressive on any number of levels."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 09/01/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...deals mainly in platitudes and abstractions, with just enough detail to hold your interest and keep you hoping for something more. Kind of like a campaign speech..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,081 words, 10/07/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: MODERATE "...the news the story brings may be perfectly accurate, but it isn't particularly original... Words fly, some of them medium-witty, but lightning doesn't strike."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 10/07/11
17.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Ides of March's reviews are separated by an average 17.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Ides of March (50 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Ides of March's reviews cover 96.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 31,625 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 632 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Ides of March Coverage, Volume & Length (50 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Ides of March's reviews on average broke 7 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Ides of March's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Ides of March (50 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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