Given Oliver Stone’s often incendiary point of view and the snarky tone of the commercials for his new biopic of George W. Bush, it’s a surprise that his “W.” actually stands for “wistful.” In the director’s sensitive, fascinating Oedipal deconstruction of our malaprop-prone 43rd president, the man in his own garbled words is played for laughs only in the most gentle — almost affectionate — way.
More often than not, instead, Bush comes off as a kind of empty vessel devoid of introspection or malice. Through Stone’s lens, Stanley Weiser’s script and Josh Brolin’s astonishing performance, he’s an endearing, if slightly dim, good ol’ boy victimized by a disapproving famous father and a senior administration of craven or megalomaniacal henchmen.
Given the subject’s historically low approval ratings, especially in light of the recent economic tsunami, there are many on both sides of the aisle who will criticize Stone for giving a pass to this lame duck.
No mentions here of the decimation of New Orleans, the exploding debt, the escalating energy crisis, and other details of the long-term aftermath of Bush’s presidency. Instead, the screenplay uses journalistic and personal accounts from books and articles to illuminate the man’s motivations and what Stone sees as the most important element of his legacy: his first term’s run-up to the Iraq War.
It paints a portrait of the commander in chief as a formerly aimless ne’er-do-well alcoholic. Stone intercuts scenes of White House meetings showing how the unprecedented Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive war was born with scenes of the seminal events in this reformed frat boy’s life. After an epiphany at age 40, much to the wounding shock of his parents Bar (Ellen Burstyn in pearls) and Poppi (James Cromwell as a pitiless George Sr.), he becomes a born-again Christian, baseball team owner and then Texas governor. Soon, Dubya hears the direct call of God — and of Karl Rove, portrayed by Toby Jones as Machiavellian fiend — to seek the highest office in the land.
The supporting cast is chosen well, evoking the expressive energy if not the exact physical resemblance of familiar characters including especially Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush and Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney. Thandie Newton offers a distracting but funny caricature of a priggish Condi Rice. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Wright’s Colin Powell is the conscience, and Brolin’s intricate anti-hero is the drawling Hamlet of a sometimes satiric entertainment with a very tragic ending.
Quick info
“W.”
4 out of 5 Stars
Stars: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Richard Dreyfuss
Director: Oliver Stone
Rated Rated PG-13 for language including sexual references, some alcohol abuse, smoking and brief disturbing war images.
Running Time: 129 minutes
