W. [DVD]

Oliver Stone brings his undeniable talent to this biopic of George `Dubya' Bush.. supported by one of those to-die-for casts he seems to have at his beck and call. There's no question this is slickly put together, and that Josh Brolin is completely convincing as the title character .... but as a movie experience there is just something missing.
Stone presents Bush as a follower rather than a leader. Someone who is driven by being under the shadow of his brother in his parents eyes, and whose political drive to succeed is a mirror of his drive to succeed in his father's eyes. Surrounding him, we have a veritable who's who of Hollywood acting as all the well known string pullers behind him and around him - most of whom are thinly drawn, not being the centre of attention - but of all of them, Richard Dreyfuss does a surprisingly good job of fleshing out Dick Cheney. There's a little jolt of energy whenever he has a moment on screen, particularly sparring with Colin Powell. But these are asides, with W's evolving character being the focus, and so as the movie goes on, we see Bush at different times of his life. From College pranks through trying to find a job he wants to keep, meeting Laura, becoming born again (watch out for a great Stacey Keach turn) and starting his political career.. all told non linearly, interspersed with the period of time that will dominate his place in history - going to war with Iraq.
With all those fine ingredients however, it seems that something has been left out - some excitement, some dramatic hook to draw you in. Frankly, Bush's life, rather like his presidency some would argue, is rather dull. In the end, the enjoyment of the movie is in the details.. enjoying watching for Hollywood well known faces playing political well known faces, learning a little about Dubya's earlier life. But we don't come away much richer for the experience. Stone's interpretation of the man is valid, but never feels insightful enough or definitive, neither does it have the cinematic or dramatic energy of, say, `Nixon'. It's not a disaster, but neither does it sparkle. Sometimes interesting, never fascinating. Perhaps it is too soon, and looking back in twenty years or more this will be regarded in higher esteem.

`W' follows George W Bush's path to the Whitehouse and when there, the path to war with Iraq. He comes across as a spoilt, rich boy desperately seeking his fathers approval and who slowly starts to believe his own hype and propaganda. This film shows how much influence Cheney actually had and also how much Karl Rove manipulated and lead Bush throughout his political career. The war is shown to be about oil and imperialist ambition and although Bush believed in what he was doing, he is shown to be misguided and flawed in his world view. This film is well directed with excellent performances from both Brolin and Dreyfuss. Thandie Newton, on the other hand, was terrible, her accent and overall acting is very wooden and lacks any skill whatsoever. Bush comes across as a very religious man and ultimately he let his religion influence his politics, to the detriment of world political stability and this film shows that aspect very well. This isn't the most flattered bio-pic of George W Bush but it does give a deeper understanding of his character, even if it does reinforce your negative opinions of him and his deeply flawed administration. Worth a viewing.

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W (DVD) 2008 raises a number of questions. The task of reviewing is a little harder for me due to nature of movie. George W Bush term at office was one of the most controversial reigns at the White House. The path to George W Bush becoming 43rd president is really interesting to explore. Direct comparisons can be drawn towards Nixon, who resigned as president due to the much publicised scandal that forced the situation. Nixon was similar to Bush in many respects. We learn great deal about the ex-president as an individual.

A few of facts are correct and well researched. I remember watching a few press conferences featuring Bush and at times he cannot handle criticism by admitting to mistakes, particularly the Iraq war. One journalist did ask "What is the biggest mistake you have made?". He remained speechless and that moment is shown in the movie.

I find the journey to the earlier days in Texas of Bush fascinating and interesting as it portrays Bush as a drunken, loud and loser in life, as he lacks the sticking power in jobs. Politics was never his first love. The father gave Bush JNR a good kick in the backside and this did the trick in Bush realising true ambitions in life. The movie runs parallel, as it switches between current days and past history of Bush. The father legacy is well touched upon about George Senior Bush and how the son followed the footsteps of his father.

My main issues raised in the movie: To what extent the facts presented reveal the truth and complete picture? Does the movie provide an accurate and complete portrait? It does to a certain degree. Significant parts of Bush's life are still missing. There is hardly much mention of the publicised friendship with ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair and any focus on marriage life. A few of the politicians seemed to be ignored like Condolezza Rice, who had an important role during the Bush administration. I can appreciate it is not possible to feature every aspect of Bush life into the movie, but on the other hand the movie should not be condensed.

The acting cannot be faulted, as every cast provide their best shot. The authenticity with the sets and footage received full praise from me. Overall, W is not an easy movie to judge. I will award the movie three stars, as I feel it is a fair reflection. The movie ends abruptly without exploring further avenues including Bush unpopularity with the public and international relations.