Never in the history of cinema
has there been a biopic
made about a sitting president.
While other movies may
have featured portrayals of
presidents, this is the first
time that the subject matter
has been devoted to the man.
That is just one of the unique
things about Director Oliver
Stone’s new movie, “W,” his
take on the life and times of
the 43rd president, George W.
Bush.
The plot of the movie
should not be a mystery to
anyone who has lived
through the past eight years,
so there are no spoilers here.
The story chronicles the life of
our president (Josh Brolin) in
the same style of Stone’s own
“Nixon” (1995), by following
Bush’s presidency while
showing flashbacks that
detail his journey from a Yale
freshman to the Oval Office.
The film does a good job
following his career in politics,
from his congressional
bid to the governorship of
Texas to the White House.
The focus on the White
House years is devoted to the
run-up to the Iraq War, and
the conflicts in Bush’s
Cabinet and the intelligence
agencies over
whether or not they
should go through
with the fight. Bush’s
men are portrayed as
having a cavalier attitude
toward the war,
being determined to
go whether or not the
intelligence is correct.
The conflict, mainly
between Dick
Cheney (Richard
Dreyfuss) and Colin
Powell (Jeffery
Wright) makes for
some of the most
compelling moments
of the film.
There is one thing
that should be noted
in seeing this film: do
not go thinking that
this movie is a comedy. While
the trailer makes it seem like
a comedy, “W.” is not a
laughfest nor a parody. While
there are comedic moments
throughout the movie, this is
a dramatic portrayal of Bush’s
life in the same vein as
“Nixon.” Though, this is not
as heavy, nor as complex, of a
fare as “Nixon,” the film has a
more straightforward
approach in telling the story.
In casting, Stone’s pick for
Bush was along the same
lines as his choice of Anthony
Hopkins as Richard Nixon in
that film. Brolin does a
remarkable job in embodying
all of the characteristics of
Bush, capturing the little
nuances -Bush’s easy-going
style, his animated gestures,
his speech, facial expressions
-with accuracy.
In watching, it is remarkable
how close his performance
is to the real person.
Dreyfuss’s spectacular
portrayal of
Cheney shows someone
who has great
influence on the
president, and therefore
a lot of pull on
the policies of the
administration.
Toby Jones’s Karl
Rove is also well
done, portraying
him as a cold, calculating
political tactician,
able to turn any
situation into a political
issue and guiding
Bush along with
a firm hand.
There are other
roles that could have
been stronger. While
Elizabeth Banks gave
a solid performance
as Laura Bush, the
role seemed to be sidelined
and not given the attention
that it should have in the film.
In addition, the role of
Condoleezza Rice (Thandie
Newton) was not as rounded
of a character as the other
Cabinet members. Rice comes
off basically as a “yeswoman,”
someone who completely
agrees with the president
at every turn.
While Stone directs this film
in much the same style as
“Nixon,” the scenes do not
have the same dramatic
effect. The film is tame.
This may have to do with
the fact that the subject matter
is still in the news and is
current in all of our minds,
while “Nixon” was made two
decades after the fact, which
allowed for more information
to be revealed over time.
Because of how recently these
events occurred, there is not
much in the movie that we
don’t already know, and
therefore is not surprising to
moviegoers.
Like “Nixon,” the movie
attempts to give as much
sympathy to Bush as possible.
This is not a complete Bushbashing
movie. However, it’s
hard to muster much sympathy
because Bush appears to
be easily led, and taking no
initiative to find things out
for himself.
“W” is an interesting movie
in this election year, much
like Michael Moore’s
“Fahrenheit 9/11” several
years ago. Even those who
aren’t very political might
find this movie entertaining.
However, if you are looking
for a more in-depth look into
the power structure of
Washington, I would also
check out “Nixon.”