“W” – An early review [View All]

A group to which I belong got free passes for an early screening of Oliver Stone’s new film, “W”. I thought Duers might be interested in an early review.

The film follows the life of George W. Bush from his college frat boy days to about the end of his first term. My first instinct with regard to this movie was that it’s too soon to enjoy watching Bush fumble thru his Presidency. I have to admit that there was some pain there, but the film also had its entertaining points. Mr. Stone is known for taking artistic license in his films and this one is no different, I’m sure. One has the question the truth and accuracy of some scenes – particularly the ones in security meetings.

Bushy, Geo or Dubya all of which he’s called in the movie along with Junior, which he hates, comes across as a man with issues with his dad, benefiting from his family name and fortune while resenting it and showing little or no intellectual curiosity. (Big surprise there, I know!)

His father, George H.W. Bush, of whom I’m no fan, nonetheless comes across as a rational, smart elder statesman. When Dubya is young and out of control, his father expresses his disappointment and seems to find it difficult to show criticism or praise directly to his son.

Colin Powell is the movie’s hero. He is the voice of reason as Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz and Condi push for war. (Although Condi comes across as little more than a “yes” woman and Shrub cheerleader.) Powell has some fantastic scenes where he throws Cheney’s Vietnam deferments up at him and says “F**k you!” to him as well. Awesome as hell to see, whether or not it’s true! The film does include Powell’s infamous lies to the U.N. for which I can never forgive him. All and all he comes across as a smart, ethical man trying to have a place in the Bush 2 administration even as he’s being shoved aside and shut out by the many hawks surrounding the President.

All the greatest hits are there from choking on a pretzel (I’m sure many wondering “What if?”), to “Mission Accomplished”, to the “Fool me once...” confusion. There are times in the film that are laugh out loud funny, some that make you cringe (like the media fawning when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier) and some that are bummers, but overall it’s a good movie. I hope that maybe some who see it will realize that we shouldn’t be electing people with so little intellectual curiosity to do such an important job (Palin).