Spring Break
Stone's latest film a success
by Sam Roos
Arts | 10/28/08
Posted online at 1:58 AM EST on 10/28/08
Oliver Stone's latest presidential biopic, W., is (appropriately) more like Nixon than JFK. It jumps around through our current president's life, showing us the world's least likely path from Yale to the White House. Emotionally, it's a story of a boy and his father, and whether it's a relationship you've considered or not, the narrative of father-and-son presidents is still fascinating. Stone paints the relationship between the two as very acrimonious, with W. as the eternal screw-up son and George Sr. the increasingly less patient father. Their bond is compelling and illuminating with regards to the current president's administration -- if what the film depicts is true to life, that is.
Ultimately, that's the question with W.: Where is the line between fact and fiction? Obviously it isn't all true, as Stone openly fudges historical details for the sake of storytelling, but the ambiguity of the film's dedication to historical reality defines the movie. Maybe it's because so little time has passed-in fact, you could say that no time at all has passed, being that W. is still the president-but with every scene I found myself holding my breath, thinking, "Jesus, is that true? That's terrifying!"
There's a scene where Dick Cheney (played brilliantly by Richard Dreyfuss) convinces Colin Powell and George Tenet of the need to move into Iraq that encapsulates the movie. Cheney uses a PowerPoint presentation in the war room in such a way that the sight evokes strong memories of Dr. Strangelove. "The exit strategy?" Cheney remarks, "There is no exit strategy. We stay." Dreyfuss almost cackles the line, and removed from the context of real life, it's a brilliant scene. But for me, there was no way to separate the film from reality.
Perhaps the problem lies with this reviewer and his inability to get over W.'s reign. Certainly most of the other people in the theater were laughing a lot more than I was. The acting is impressive: Brolin is excellent, Dreyfuss steals the show, and Toby Jones as Karl Rove is another highlight of a tremendous series of impressions though that word doesn't do their performances justice. At the end of the night, though, it just felt a little weird and a little uncomfortable. How can we laugh at the man who flushed all our futures down the tubes?
But really, the movie is about George W. Bush and how he stumbled and bumbled his way into the most powerful office on the planet. W.'s myriad of different jobs (all failures) and his attempts to connect with his father (all failures) come to an end when he's saved by the loves of his life, Laura and Jesus Christ. From there he turns around on a fascinating dime-he gains confidence, credibility and followers-but seeing the way he conducts business in the White House, it's clear that the original W is in there somewhere.
I think if this movie had come out in 2012, I would have loved it. It's well-made and it's an interesting interpretation of W.'s life. But, because it's so close to home, all I can think about is its veracity. I'd recommend it, for if nothing else, it will make you think about how, exactly, we let this man lead us all for eight years.
Ultimately, that's the question with W.: Where is the line between fact and fiction? Obviously it isn't all true, as Stone openly fudges historical details for the sake of storytelling, but the ambiguity of the film's dedication to historical reality defines the movie. Maybe it's because so little time has passed-in fact, you could say that no time at all has passed, being that W. is still the president-but with every scene I found myself holding my breath, thinking, "Jesus, is that true? That's terrifying!"
There's a scene where Dick Cheney (played brilliantly by Richard Dreyfuss) convinces Colin Powell and George Tenet of the need to move into Iraq that encapsulates the movie. Cheney uses a PowerPoint presentation in the war room in such a way that the sight evokes strong memories of Dr. Strangelove. "The exit strategy?" Cheney remarks, "There is no exit strategy. We stay." Dreyfuss almost cackles the line, and removed from the context of real life, it's a brilliant scene. But for me, there was no way to separate the film from reality.
Perhaps the problem lies with this reviewer and his inability to get over W.'s reign. Certainly most of the other people in the theater were laughing a lot more than I was. The acting is impressive: Brolin is excellent, Dreyfuss steals the show, and Toby Jones as Karl Rove is another highlight of a tremendous series of impressions though that word doesn't do their performances justice. At the end of the night, though, it just felt a little weird and a little uncomfortable. How can we laugh at the man who flushed all our futures down the tubes?
But really, the movie is about George W. Bush and how he stumbled and bumbled his way into the most powerful office on the planet. W.'s myriad of different jobs (all failures) and his attempts to connect with his father (all failures) come to an end when he's saved by the loves of his life, Laura and Jesus Christ. From there he turns around on a fascinating dime-he gains confidence, credibility and followers-but seeing the way he conducts business in the White House, it's clear that the original W is in there somewhere.
I think if this movie had come out in 2012, I would have loved it. It's well-made and it's an interesting interpretation of W.'s life. But, because it's so close to home, all I can think about is its veracity. I'd recommend it, for if nothing else, it will make you think about how, exactly, we let this man lead us all for eight years.
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