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W. Director: Oliver Stone Writer: Stanley Wiser By Eric Rosenhek W. does not portray U.S. President George W. Bush as a clown, nor does it make him out to be a brilliant tactician. It is a film that depicts a simple man, who had many more luxuries than most of us, and was motivated to prove his family wrong. Josh Brolin stars as the 43rd President in this interpretation of his life from 1966-2004. The audience witnesses a young man with an addiction to alcohol and the inability to have a successful career. Bush eventually turns his life around, becoming a born-again Christian, which ultimately leads to his tenure as Governor of Texas and his current presidency. However, the focal point of the film is Bush’s relationship with his father, former Pres. George H.W. Bush (James Cromwell). Director Oliver Stone and Writer Stanley Wiser hypothesize that the younger Bush had a strained relationship with his father. Through out the film, there are scenes when Bush Sr. chastises his son for countless failed ventures, telling him that he’s a disgrace to the family and will never amount to anything. To make matters worse, Bush’s father and mother (Barbra Bush, played by Ellen Burstyn) constantly praise his brother Jeb as the “Good Son” and the one that will be successful in life. Stone shows how Bush turns this demoralization into motivation, as he does everything he can to attest to his family that he is not a failure. However, Stone does not cast Bush as a hero and makes sure to point out his flaws, including the “pretzel incident” and the famous grammatical faux pas. The audience is presented with a character that is tragic and full of irony. George W. Bush is certainly not the most articulate man on Earth, and if it wasn’t for his family’s high societal standing, he probably would have never amounted to anything. However, he has managed to serve two terms as President, despite his questionable actions in office. Unfortunately, one must give him credit for that. What makes W. worthwhile is the acting. Brolin does an admirable job as Bush, perfecting all the proper mannerisms and swagger. Equally commendable is Elizabeth Banks, who plays First Lady Laura Bush; a strong woman who firmly believes in the Tammy Wynette mantra of standing by your man. The strongest acting occurs during scenes involving the President’s top advisors. Richard Dreyfuss perfectly mirrors the image and mindset of Vice President Dick Cheney, Scott Glen shows the true colours of Donald Rumsfeld, and Jeffrey Wright correctly emulates Colin Powell’s conscientious actions. The only weak performance was Thandie Newton’s portrayal of Condoleezza Rice, which was more suited for a Saturday Night Live skit than a serious feature film. Nevertheless, W. does have its shortcomings. For one thing, the film is too long (131 minutes). Anyone could easily shave 25 minutes off of it and still get the point across. Another issue is the timing of the film. It is way too soon to make any type of judgment on George W. Bush’s presidency. Such a verdict should not be made until all the long term effects of his decisions are carried out and properly analyzed. Simply put, W. was rushed into theatres – filming had begun in May and wrapped up in the summer – and this severely hurt the film. |