W. is an a-political dramedy about America’s most important politician, George W. Bush. Director Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK) shapes the tragio-dramedy that is President George W. Bush’s life into a stunningly fair and balanced portrait of the well-meaning near-do-well with the theory that W. is not an evil or malicious war-mongerer, but a puppet of a cabinet of greedy war hawks.
The all-star cast led by Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) and James Cromwell (LA Confidential) brings a uniquely humane understanding of a man underestimated.
Oliver Stone nails the tone of the film perfectly. The comedy comes from character flaws without becoming mocking.
Stone puts forth the theory that W is the wrong simple man for the wrong complex job who was shot into a hell-storm of a circumstance during a time of great duress for America as well as the rest of the world.
The film does not viciously attack Republicans, conservatives, or America, instead it attacks individuals responsible for the War in Iraq and the problems with the economy.
W. boasts an amazing cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, Richard Dreyfuss, Scott Glenn, Ioan Gruffudd, Thandie Newton, Noah Wylie, Jeffery Wright and even Rob Corddry of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as well as many new up and comers such as Colin Hanks and Jason Ritter.
Brolin brings deep pathos to the titular character; Brolin’s “Dubya” is not a brainless buffoon, instead he is a confused Good Ol’ Boy struggling to live outside of his father’s shadow and doing his best (albeit mostly erroneously) to help his fellow man.
Brolin nails the accent, facial expressions, body language and sad irony to a T and brings great sympathy to a man much maligned by America today. The supporting cast is a delightful feast for more than casual filmgoers. Cromwell plays the compassionate yet distant successful father of W. with an odd twist: he doesn’t play to an imitation of George Herbert Walker Bush.
No funny voice or body language, the closest thing to an imitation he gives is a slight accent. While at first this seemed jarring (I kept waiting for Dudley Smith of LA Confidential to say “Boyo” and was pleasantly surprised when he actually did!) after a few minutes I got used to it.
Scott Glenn (Silence of the Lambs) is amazing as the snide Donald “Rummy” Rumsfeld. I couldn’t keep my attention on any other character once Glenn took control of a scene.
Thandie Newton (Crash) plays the simple-minded bureaucratic Condoleezza Rice with pitch perfect satire. Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws) plays the real villain of the piece, Vice President Dick Cheney. While the imitation is quite good, I feel it is sometimes a bit one sided towards portraying Cheney as a truly evil character with a monetary agenda.
For all of its strong points (the cinematography, the acting, the tone) the film’s biggest flaw is with its disjointed script. Each scene is well written but often a bit rushed. The story of W. is told non-linearly; taking place both during his presidency and during his rise to power. At points too little is revealed (names and motivations) and many key events in W’s life seem to be left out. The script doesn’t seem to trust its own story.
This film nails what I believe to be the case regarding President Bush: he is not a man hell-bent on destroying America (as many thought this film would presuppose) but simply a simple man in a maelstrom of a changing America.
