W. (2008)

I have to commend Oliver Stone on his third presidential biopic, he has kept the entire film tremendously fair and balanced, portraying one of the most recognisable figures of modern times in an unconventional light. For some, George W. Bush was just a "misunderestimated" guy in an impossible situation, for others, he ranks alongside Hitler and the same dictator he toppled, Saddam Hussein, in history's long list of monsters, guilty of waging a bloody war under false pretences. Stone doesn't take up either side, but rather presents us with a human being invested with the authority of the world's only superpower, a past of boozing and failure, a powerful religious belief and a pathological love of freedom. This is a Bush who is no fool, but isn't of the intellectual character to lead, often out-pointed and dazed by his advisers throwing numbers and impenetrable euphemisms his way and expecting a response. This is not to say that blame is removed from Bush, though both Richard Dreyfuss' Dick Cheney and Scott Glenn's Donald Rumsfeld are suitably slimy and diabolical. Josh Brolin's Bush, however, seems more like a man with intentions that outpace his ability, and his decisions are rarely motivated by anything inherently negative, the awful consequences stemming from misinformation or his incredible lack of foresight. Special mention to the lone voice of reason in the script, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, who serves to balance Bush's cabinet and avoid turning them into a real-life SPECTRE. If I had to criticise, I would note the somewhat excessive Jack Daniels and Dr Pepper product placement, and Thandie Newton's incredibly nasal Condoleezza Rice. A thoroughly fair and watchable charting of the Bush years, and probably the fairest hearing that George W. Bush will ever enjoy.


"I know that the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." - George W. Bush