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W.

If you’re looking for a film that truly enlightens you to the character of George W. Bush, this unfortunately isn’t it. Instead, read a biography. You’ll definitely learn more about this sympathetic failure of a man than you do in this film. Oliver Stone’s “W.” is competently made but chooses to hit the obvious checkpoints of Bush’s life. The result is a film that isn’t as interesting as it should be, and not as fresh as it would be if it provided a new angle to view the man. And with somewhat shoddy production values, it remains on the level middling of a solid made for tv movie.

In the medium of film, it’s just plain difficult to portray the former president. With his big ears, signature accent, level of intelligence and vocabulary--he’s just too easy to make a caricature out of. Brolin does an admirable job though. I never really believed he was George W. Bush, but he is a good representation of Bush.

“W.” is rather odd in that sense. A great attention is paid to physical similarities in the actors. Ellen Burstyn, Richard Dreyfus, Thandie Newton, and Scott Glenn, all make dead on impersonations of Barbara Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, and Donald Rumsfeld, respectively. They certainly look the part. But good impersonations don’t necessarily make good performances. You never truly believe they are the character. For the most part, they remain impersonators, and the audience can view them as merely that. It’s hard to accept them as people. So unfortunately, you’re left puzzling over how weird it is to see Thandie Newton impersonate Condoleezza Rice, and your investment in the movie falters because of it.

Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell and Toby Jones as Karl Rove are both extraordinary though. Their roles are not vast, but the plot hinges on them. Powell is the lone dissenter of the cabinet, providing the sole voice of reason to the trigger happy group. Whether you agree with his policies or not, Wright’s performance is deferential and powerful. Powell and Rove are both very intelligent men, and Wright and Jones are fantastic actors that do them justice. It’s a welcome relief to see such strong willed and feisty beings, in contrast to the cluelessness of Dubya that is showcased, although not flaunted, in the film.

“W.” flashes back and forth between the failure of Bush’s presidency and his rise—as an undergraduate at Yale, an oil man, running for Congress, etc. These brief snapshots point out the obvious—Bush is a man looking to please and one-up his successful and domineering father. This isn’t really anything new though. The portrayal of Dick Cheney as a puppeteer over the Bush administration is played out too. The writers of “SNL” were spot on in a portrayal of this and did it first. So what exactly does “W.” offer that is fresh and worth watching?

Unfortunately, not much. “W.” regurgitates all the now oft told stories of Bush’s life—the pretzel choking incident, bumbling of press conferences, and party hearty college days, with providing little insight. It never truly proves its worth as a film in this sense. The closest the film comes to this is at the end of the film, with Bush at a press conference. He is asked about his failures during his presidency. As he stumbles over an answer, it’s hard not to pity him. He’s not a bad man, merely incompetent. It’s palpable, he leeches off the greatness of others—his father, for example, and is incapable of providing his own justifications for anything.

It’s not clear exactly what “W.” is going for. Parody, satire, straight biography; it’s incredibly difficult to tell. Because the tone is hard to grasp, it's difficult to peacefully settle into this film. But with a solid lead performance and several outstanding side supporting roles, “W.” is biographical fluff--soon to be forgotten in time, like Bush, himself.

Written by: Matthew Doyle

Reviewers Rating: 6
Reader's Rating: 9.00
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