Movie Review of Oliver Stone's W.

Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks Star in Biopic on President Bush

Oct 17, 2008

Based on facts, but blended with fiction, the film 'W.' conveys a definite bias.

In director Oliver Stone’s biopic W. about George W. Bush, Josh Brolin stars as the 43rd U.S. President from his fraternity days at Yale through year 2003 of his presidency. The film covers his family relationships, courtship of Laura (Elizabeth Banks), days of drinking, religious conversion, and entrance into politics.

In preparing to write the screenplay for W., Stanley Weiser read every known book available on George W. Bush to gets the facts right. While the events depicted may all be true, Weiser and Stone certainly took some liberties (and pot shots) in this fictionalized account. Small amounts of actual news footage weave their way throughout the film adding to its appearance of authenticity.

Nearly every important scene features unflattering close-ups of Brolin greedily chomping down a meal or talking as some beverage drips down his chin. As George and Laura, Brolin and Banks discuss politics while engaging in private bathroom activities, make insensitive remarks to severely wounded soldiers, and talk about the family’s preference for younger brother, Jeb (Jason Ritter).

In addition, Stone includes several scenes of mandatory prayers after business meetings and sessions with Bush’s reverend Earle Hudd (Stacy Keach). Bush’s religious conversion, which changed the course of his life, is reduced to a depiction of an early morning jogging meltdown after a night of heavy drinking. Throughout the film, quick cuts and jerky camera action give the overall feeling of instability.

In W., the group of advisors and handlers surrounding the President are as one-dimensional as they are plentiful. These characters include James Cromwell as George Bush, Sr.; Ellen Burstyn as Barbara Bush; Toby Jones as Karl Rove, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld; Rob Corddry as Ari Fleischer; Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell; Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney; Bruce McGill as George Tenet, and Dennis Boutsikaris as Paul Wolfowitz.

It’s hard to imagine that any of the people depicted in this film will be pleased with the way they are represented. Although these supporting actors physically resemble the people they portray (as does Banks), the only real performance with any depth and believability belongs to Brolin.

His nuanced portrayal of George W. Bush contains all the right vocal mannerisms, physical gestures, and facial expressions. He provides an interpretation of the man rather than a caricature. Despite the obviously biased point-of-view of the filmmakers in depicting far more low points than high points in Bush’s life, Brolin manages to convey the abundant charisma and essential humanity that led a wild fraternity boy to become the Commander-in-Chief.

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