Movie Review - “W”
** 1/2 STARS
Oliver Stone’s new film “W” isn’t as scathing and controversial as the trailers and the media would lead you to believe. I was preparing myself to watch a completely liberal and one sided depiction of the worst President in history, but in the end this film is nothing more than just another glossy Hollywood bio-pic like “Ray”. If you go into this movie thinking you will get more insight into who George W. Bush is and why he does what he does, then you will be disappointed, there is nothing new to see here.
The uncanny performances in this movie are the main reasons why you should go see it while it is still in theaters. Josh Brolin gives an out of this world Oscar worthy performance as George Bush Jr. Richard Dreyfuss (Cheney) and James Cromwell (George Bush Sr.) also give spot on performances that are pretty dead on. The supporting cast which includes Thandie Newton (Condoleezza Rice) and Elizabeth Banks (Laura Bush) are mesmerizing on screen. These performances are more than impressions; they are heavily nuanced depictions that are eerily real to life.
As entertaining as “W” was I couldn’t help but get the feeling that the movie was rushed through production and slapped together so it could be released before the elections. Some of the make-up and hair in this film comes off a bit amateurish for a big Hollywood film. The truly only gratifying moments in this movie come from watching all of these talented actors working with each other. The scenes in the war room are the most intense and entertaining parts of “W”, everything else can be filed under “made for TV” content.
More than anything this movie made me sad. Realizing that any buffoon with a privileged background could become President made me sick to my stomach and I just felt depressed after the film ended. Once the movie was over I did feel a sense of great relief knowing that George W. Bush will be gone as of next year. The saddest realization is knowing that this is a part of our history that we have to get used to whether we like it or not. And for that point alone this film documents one the worst times in modern American perfectly.
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