Review of W. (2008) by Tibor B — 06 Jul 2009
Those expecting a ferocious satire of the Bush Jnr. presidency from Stone might find themselves disappointed as this biopic plays it quite safe and is, dare I say it, almost sympathetic to the man. Jumping about in flashbacks (a bit too much) it roughly covers the lead up to the Iraq war, whilst also covering Bush's early drunken college days, aimless job-hopping, sweet romance with Laura and then the final push into politics, always leaning heavily on his all-American man charisma.
His born again Christian status jumps out of the blue, but what remains consistent is a simmering love/hate relationship with "Poppy" Bush which many think was his very personal reason to push for presidency and go back into Iraq.
The cast all relish their roles, but never in much more than amusing look-alike characters. Ultimately it's all a little pointless - pushed further into Strangelove-esque satire or in the opposite direction of enlightening and complex biography it may have really worked.
As it stands, its a light tragicomedy of a naive man with little experience of the world, surrounded by people with other agendas with a big family name to live up. It's an easy watch, it's just a bit average.
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This review of W. (2008) was written by Tibor B on 06 Jul 2009.
W. has generally received mixed reviews.
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