The election is coming up on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 and whatever your politics are there is one truth. George W. Bush will not be re-elected president. While the American people take an opportunity to reminisce about the two-term Bush administration, Oliver Stone (“World Trade Center”) hopes people will want to see a film which delves into the history of the man before he was president. “W.“ cuts back and forth between Bush’s past and his first term in office, revealing key moments in his life that may have played a part in his later actions as commander-in-chief. Stone is a skilled filmmaker who makes this narrative style work. The beginning of the film glides along effortlessly but near the middle when leading up to the Iraq War, too many details slip into the narrative causing a more complete but less entertaining story.
The personal history of the young Bush is fascinating, as Josh Brolin (“No Country For Old Men”) portrays him as brash and sophomoric but charismatic. His drinking problem takes up a good deal of his life as do his daddy issues with George H.W. Bush. Some really wonderful supporting performances from actors portraying his advisors make you feel like a fly on the wall at an important national security meeting. The explanations behind going to war with Iraq are multiple and even the more outlandish ones have a believable quality to them.
For politics junkies “W.” is a fascinating glimpse at these government officials from a more personal level and how personalities may have influenced policy. Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, and Toby Jones as Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Karl Rove are practically indistinguishable from their real life counterparts. I came to appreciate James Cromwell and Scott Glenn as the elder Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, though they portrayed more the essence of these characters. The dignity of the elder Bush works in stark contrast to Brolin’s younger Bush, who overeagerly tries to earn his father’s respect and attention. Brolin’s brave performance pulls the characterization of the whole man together. There are pieces of this character to like as well as deplore.
Problems arise with Richard Dreyfus’s Dick Cheney, who looks the part but does not come across quite strong enough. There is one stark scene where his true plans for the Middle East are laid bare, which felt more authentic to the character. The seriousness of the war is underplayed for dark comedic value as no weapons of mass destruction are found and violence on the ground continues. The tone in the later stage of the film was not quite right compared to the personal drama of the beginning. A dream sequence is even included which was unnecessary to underscore Bush seniors feelings about the war. While a talented director, near the end Stone may have let his politics peek through and spoil an otherwise intriguing film.
Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images.
