The Ides of March: Venice Reviews

So far so good. This is a film that will polarize people due to its political nature, but even the least enthusiastic reviews so far have still been pretty damn good. That being said, I don't know if the reviews are as enthusiastic as they need to be to launch an automatic Oscar campaign. But the pedigree alone could take it to the bank, it will probably be a decent box office hit, and so far we only have a handful of reviews, so its hard to determine how a more general consensus will see it. Although intial impressions say that the cast members, particularly Gosling, Hoffman, Giamatti, and Wood, should get their campaigns reved up for some potential acting slots. That being said here are some early Venice reviews for The Ides of March:

Deborah Young from The Hollywood Reporter:

"Poised between politics and thriller, this morality tale from Clooney & Co. is illuminated by a terrific ensemble cast....Classy and professional throughout, the technical work gracefully holds all the threads together"

Derek Malcolm of This Is London was particularly impressed with Clooney's work both behind and in front of the camera:

"There are wheels within wheels in this intelligently written tale of political chicanery which vies with Clooney's Good Night, And Good Luck as the kind of relevant film Hollywood should make but seldom does these days. To direct, write and act in such a film proves Clooney to be a good deal more than the Clark Gable of his generation."

Dave Calhoun of Time Out was a little less enthusiastic, but appreciated the cast's work:

"‘The Ides of March’ is solid enough as a minor moral tale about politics – but its teeth are not as sharp as its ponderous title, overplayed final scene of co-star Ryan Gosling staring into a television camera or more flat noir-ish elements would all like to suggest. However, taken as a diverting aside on our world and with its more awkward pretensions forgiven, it’s captivating enough and well-performed by a strong cast, even down to the smaller ensemble roles. There’s a pleasing sense of a cast working together for the cause."