Review of W. (2008) by Travis S — 11 Dec 2011

Attention Everyone! Great news! An Oliver Stone film about George W. Bush that's not a Bushbashing film. Seriously, the Bushbashing is old news. Go rent Fahrenheit 9/11 if that's what you want.

There are plenty of those films out there, W. is a great and fascinating character study of President George W. Bush. If your looking for a film that bashes Bush, the film does poke fun at him; almost any Hollywood person could make a Bushbashing film, Oliver Stone shocked me by deliverying something new for a change.

Oliver Stone, who is best known for his conspiracy theories, leaves out theory and presents very strong facts. Finally, here is a film which greatly portrays the man, the life, and the intentions of W.

The man has made several mistakes, but the film presents Bush as a human with a troubled past, a son constantly seeking approval from his father, and a man who's intentions were for good not evil.

So many people have placed Bush in their own level of rejection that some people may find it hard to accept the fact that George W. Bush is a man with good intentions, but he is just as human as the next president, and all of us, a message the movie calls out.

And you actually feel sorry for the guy. It is clear that Bush was not a great leader (especially with people like Cheney and Rumsfeld at his side), but we should cut the guy some slack. All the performances as performed with excellent protrayal and are excuted in a masterful style.

Josh Brolin is amazing best work yet (Hard to believe the guy was a Goonie). Richard Dreyfuss is haunting and outstanding as Dick Cheney. Jeffery Wright, James Cromwell, Ellen Burstyn, and everyone else in this cast is at the top of their game.

W. is directed in such a style that you almost completely forget it's an Oliver Stone film. Oliver Stone has proven with World Trade Center and does it again with W. the man can still make a great history movie when he leaves out assumptions and sticks to facts.

One of the year's best!