“W” – An early review

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).

He made that pretty clear. I found him to be quiet, self-effacing, and forthright. He hates the last eight years. I don't remember everything he said, but he impressed me as someone who definitely knows the score.

Having said that, I have NO desire to see it.

a fictionalized account of the disaster his presidency has brought us. Frankly, the time for this film was in 2004, when it might have done us some good, not 2008 when it's too late. I lost any sense of humor about the shrub in oh, 2001. I think I'll pass.

what's the point of picking at this scab?

otherwise in some election in the future, people will once against be faced with the choice of a seemingly dull, liberal brainiac or this other guy, who's not too smart, but seems like the type of guy you could have a beer with, and they'll once again go for personality over competency.

sorry i'm not one of the nine people whose vote was counted

next question?

As Americans, we failed to clean up our own mess. Soon, George W. Bush will leave the White House free and clear unless someone bothers to draw up criminal charges against him.

It's just too painful right now for me to see this.

... what he's done to this country is so painful, I don't know if I can sit through it and view it with a humorous lens.

I was going back and forth about seeing it until we got the passes.

I cringed when Bush was calling foreign leaders to get support for the war. He's so embarassing! There was a large groan all over the audience when he addressed an Asian reporter as "Miss China".

The only thing I can say is that I saw it with many Democrats and there was a sense of having got thru this together. Someone booed as soon as the "W" came up on the screen and got big laughs! It's an important film in that it puts a lot of what happened on the record in a form that more people will see, however free Stone may have been with it.

his presidency. Three weeks before this election is just not the right time for me. YMMV.

Not a happy ending, either.

Same problem with all his movies.

I already know the story, and I already see his bias. He is not particularly deep in his perceptions, either.

And Colin Powell whored himself out a long time ago.

I can think of two acceptable endings. One, like The Producers only set in the International War Crimes Court, with the line, "We find the defendants incredibly guilty". Or hanging upside-down in a garage like Mussolini.

at this point in my life.
It took me decades to gain sufficient from the rancid memory of Nixon to sit thru
Stone's Nixon movie....and Hopkin's portrayal was eerily on target.

I too saw it last night, and while they were some parts meant to piss you off...there were some hysterical scenes.

Helps to have that perspective since few other reviewers will remember what most of us here would about the Chimperor's antics.