Review of W. (2008) by Nick O — 28 Mar 2011

It works, mostly, just doing that thing that Oliver Stone does. It's a hugely, irreverently funny caricature, which lends to some metaphysical insight: this is how we, the American people, genuinely view our public sphere and its figures.

It's not such a howler when you consider that. I enjoyed the way everyone seemed to play the fence in that regard, instead of opting for the because-the-media-says-so skewering. Anyone absorbing this film at a literal level is going to experience either smug, sober satisfaction or primal outrage at the political farce taking place before them.

Those people are also the ones dumb enough to get us in the deep, dichotomous political muck in which we currently wade. Anyone who can appreciate the nuances, well, will do just that. There's something very human about the way it seems to say "Well, this sucked, but look at how ridiculous all this is.

What did we expect from this cast of circus performers (e.g. Karl Rove as the closest thing to Dobby I've ever seen a real human being be)?" The terrific sort of curmudgeon's wit and (I suppose) ambivalent quasi-tolerance to be found here is something that, unlike with the second Wall Street installment, I rather enjoyed from elder Stone.

Also, Thandie Newton as Condi? Genius.