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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with DAN CARRIER
Published: 6 November 2008

Josh Brolin as George W Bush

Catching up with George W’s story

PREVIEW: W
Directed by Oliver Stone
Certificate 15

AMERICAN presidents seem to spend their last months in the Oval Office fretting about their legacy.
Will history judge them kindly, or will they struggle to raise the funds to set up the library in their honour?
Historians will not give George W Bush an easy time, but, surprisingly, Oliver Stone’s bio-pic is much kinder than it could have been.
Stone may not be a supporter, but still manages to be as understanding as possible of the background to this disastrous American president.
Stone’s colours are firmly nailed to the mast: his Oscar-nominated film about the life and times of the original presidential bogeyman Richard Nixon was in many ways kindly disposed towards his subject. Although Stone clearly despised Nixon, he was able to show sympathy towards him – a grand gesture.
As for Dubya, he attempts to understand what made the 43rd American president tick, and how someone aged 40 who appeared to be little more than the spoilt son of a successful politician manoeuvred himself into a position where he could jangle the White House keys from his fingers.
Of his motives for making such a piece, Stone said: “Bush has globally had a tremendous impact. Under his administration, the presidency and its powers have never been so enhanced. Obviously, it’s a timely film and our version of his life some people will reject but some will understand. Audiences will have a chance to look behind the curtain of an improbable president who we don’t really know because his images have been artificially managed by his team.”
Dubya is impressively played by Josh Brolin: he gets all the tics and nuances spot on. The essence of the movie is to consider how he got to be president. It makes for interesting viewing.
Brolin is joined by James Cromwell as Bush Senior, and Elizabeth Banks as first mother, Laura. All three turn in super performances. It stands as an
interesting requiem to a passage in American politics that we can hope this week is finally in the past.

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