The Gosla-thon Part 3: The Ides Of March

I hope I wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand the title of this film before the enlightenment of a Google search. According to a number of sources reliable and less than reliable, ‘ides’ is derived from a Latin word which means ‘halfway’; thus the ides of March means roughly the 15^th of March (give or take a day or too, depending on the lunar cycle). Now besides being the birthday of such varied musicians as Eduard Strauss, Ry Cooder and Will.i.am, the Ides of March was also the date on which Caesar was assassinated. In Shakespeare’s play, Caesar is warned by a prophet to ‘beware the ides of March’.

Cultural history lesson over. The film is set in Ohio during the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries. Ryan Gosling plays Stephen, a junior campaign manager under his boss Paul (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and nominee Mike Morris (George Clooney). He plays an idealistic young man who sees politics as a way to change people’s lives for the better. However, he soon learns how dirty the fight for political survival is.

The Ides of March is a quiet little corker of a film. Within the limit of its plot, it manages to draw out a Shakespearean tragedy that would give Macbeth déjà vu. The script is tight and the story line is deftly woven. It is good to see a Hollywood film that doesn’t try and fall back on melodrama, especially with the kind of subject matter IOM deals with. That would be an easy trap to fall into, but IOM maintains its dignity and narrative integrity absolutely.

It was sad to see how cold and hard people can become because of their experiences. It is especially saddening to see disillusionment creep in upon idealism. While idealism may ultimately be naive and innocent, it is still sad to see it wither. The scenes I found most potently illustrative of this were the interactions between Marisa Tomei’s character Ida the journalist and Stephen.

You couldn’t really go wrong with the actors they had in this film anyway. Indie heavyweights were aplenty; Marisa Tomei (underused and underrated- give the woman a lead!), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (he must be good with three names), Paul Giamatti (the dude is in everything) and Evan Rachel Wood (dated Marilyn Manson. Enough said.) all gave fantastic performances. Like anyone was surprised by that.

And then there was Ryan. The man behind the Gosla-thon. He gave a solid performance throughout, and was especially brilliant at the cold hard politician bit. I’m so glad he has range besides taking off his shirt a lot. But that range is good too. More of that next film please, Mr Gosling sir.

The Ides Of March is a delicious morsel. There are shots of pure brilliance, which is a nice surprise from fourth time director George Clooney. This is without a doubt a film to watch and think about.

The Gosla-thon Part Two: Drive

This film makes me feel very happy. That may be worrying, considering the amount of violence in it. It’s not out of sadism though. It makes me happy because I feel safe in the knowledge that someone out there can still make mind-blowingly good noir films.

I was a bit suspicious when the pink curly Footloose-esque font came up on the screen. I rolled with it though, and I think in hindsight it works. The synth-pop soundtrack of the film (despite being a little clunky in parts) and the knowledge that Bernie used to produce cheap 80s thrillers added to the mad lettering and gave the film a unique undertone without it becoming overpoweringly stilted.

That’s the thing about noir; you risk becoming bogged down in the genre and ending up with a copy of what has come before. Drive takes a classic noir location, Los Angeles, and extends the genre by locating it in a different era and by taking on different characters.

I’d finished reading James Ellroy’s Brown’s Requiem a couple of days before watching this film, so I think my head is still in the seedy underbelly of L.A. I recognise the brutality of it from Ellroy, and the problematic morality of it as well. I have heard criticisms that Drive is too superficial, possibly because The Driver doesn’t say much. I think his actions are perfectly suited to his environment though.

I think one of the best things about noir is the fore-fronting of questions of morality. Raymond Chandler’s classic character Phillip Marlowe upheld his morals throughout the corruption he saw around him, usually getting beaten up and fucked over in the process. Ellroy’s novels also are full of corruption and people questioning their personal morality in such a destructive world. The Driver doesn’t necessarily question in that way, but he is single-minded in his protection of something he loves, something which represents goodness and happiness.

Of course, how could I forget to mention the Gosling of the Gosla-thon, the man that inspired the quest. Pure delight. Sizzling. Brutal. It is incredible how well he can move between selfless, caring and strong to utterly cold-blooded and brutal. A true noir hero. He can even make a quilted silver jacket look good.

Drive is definitely a film to watch over and over and over again; and not just for Ryan Gosling. It is a fantastic example of noir in a new era.

The Ryan Gosla-thon

Today marks the first part of my intrepid adventure into the world of Ryan Gosling films. Well, I tell a lie. I am only pretending about the serious film analysis part of it. It is just a chance to gaze upon his pecs with drool gathering at the corner of my mouth. Hardly going where no one has ever gone before.

Nevertheless, the Gosla-thon will go on. I managed to catch one of the last shows of Crazy, Stupid Love today, at least three weeks behind the rest of the world. As far as films go, it was okay. It was enjoyable enough, it was slightly funny, and it had Ryan Gosling in it. You can’t really ask for more from a Hollywood RomCom. Analeigh Tipton, who plays the babysitter, is a particularly striking young woman and played a good role.

And then there was Ryan Gosling, playing a suave well-dressed womaniser. My favourite scene is the one wherein the camera pans from his arse to his shoulders in the warm yellow light from a bedside lamp as he bends over Emma Stone. I sound like a creep because I am, by the way. I paid $18 to watch a film for a 15 second shot of Ryan Gosling’s fine physique. The sad part is that it was entirely worth it.

Seriously, this Gosla-thon thing is entirely an accident. He just happens to be in two movies that have slightly overlapped release dates, both of which I wouldn’t mind seeing. A quick IMDB search revealed that I’ve seen more of his films than I first realised. I’ve also seen The Notebook (something which probably shouldn’t really be mentioned in public) and Lars and the Real Girl. Lars was a great movie. The family really warms the cockles of your heart.

A good chiselled jaw and a cool demeanour make everything all right with the world, really. The Gosla-thon is therefore not only a foray into new cinematic masterworks, nor merely an excuse to wilt over the physical and (I believe) psychological perfection that is Ryan Gosling. It is also a way of reminding us as a society of our common humanity. Can you tell I have an Arts degree?

The next part of humanitarian re-affirmation is Drive. Stay tuned. Heaven knows I will be.