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| W. |
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| Written by Ivan Radford |
| Friday, 07 November 2008 13:47 |
 Director: Oliver StoneNever has a man been more parodied and insulted than the current US President. George W. Bush (Brolin), the most powerful man in the Universe, has often been imitated on television, but now, thanks to Oliver Stone, his life story has made it to the big screen. Focussing on Dubya’s earlier life and first term, W. shows how exactly George W. Bush made it to the White House. From frat-boy antics to finding Jesus, the journey may not all be strictly accurate, but it’s a fun one to watch. We first see Dubya (mid-fraternity initiation) in a metal bath, covered in ice water and downing Jack Daniels – about as un-Presidential as you can get. Then, via the love of liberal future wife Laura (Banks), he reforms his rebellious ways. Failing to hold down a job and dodging conscription, his life is overshadowed by his father’s overbearing disapproval. George Bush Sr. (Cromwell) prefers his other son, Jeb, sick of forever bailing out George Jr. Their relationship is depicted as Dubya’s driving force for doing something with his life, finishing off what his pappy started. Then he receives the call from God and decides to run for President - he may not always speak well publicly, he earnestly explains to his pastor, but he’s been hand-picked by God for the job: “I’m like Moses”. Once in the Oval Office, the controversy really begins. Striving to create a ‘truthful’ portrait of America’s leading man, Stanley Weiser’s script moves from choking on pretzels to invading Iraq in the blink of an eye. Skulking in the shadows of cabinet meetings, the power struggles of Cheney (Dreyfuss) and Rumsfeld (Glenn) come to the fore, as Dick unveils his image of America’s ‘empire’, a kingdom which dominates the globe’s oil supplies. But among the lefty conspiracies (not quite JFK in proportion) is a man trying to do the right thing. Josh Brolin is a revelation as Dubya, inhabiting the character without descending into impersonation; a good ringer for the President, his mannerisms and expressions are spot on. They may include the odd gaffe (“What place will you have in history?” “In history, we’ll all be dead!”) but George is always a character, never a caricature. The same is true of the entire ensemble. James Cromwell is brilliant as Bush Sr., somehow drawing attention away from the mismatch in appearance and voice. The others in the White House are equally convincing. Even Toby Jones pops up as the wily Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove – Truman Capote, Nixon’s agent, Toby is fast becoming the biopic Brit of choice. Flashing back along his path to power, Stone’s structure frequently veers into TV movie cliché, a flaw covered up by the President's performance. In fact, Brolin’s Bush is so well-intentioned it’s difficult to dislike him at all. W. may be slightly left-leaning, but it certainly captures the charisma of George; Dubya has had a questionable career, but by all accounts is a likeable guy. In this respect, Stone's tale is more truthful (or more shallow) than expected, making a human out of the bumbling façade and a molehill out of 2000's mountainous recount scandal. In fact, W. 's non-partisan stance means you may come out liking him more than when you went in. VERDICT Too recent to deal with Bush’s final days in office, Stone’s unbiased biopic is controversial precisely because it is so sympathetic. A disappointment for the Bush-haters, but W.'s story (proving anyone can grow up to be President) is still an enjoyable ride. |
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