W. ***

Cast: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Burstyn, Scott Glenn, Toby Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton
Director: Oliver Stone
Running Length: 2:09
MPAA Classification: PG-13

“W.” is a look at the 43rd President of the United States (Brolin), and is told in a non-linear fashion. The main story takes place from about 2002 onward, while flashing back to key points in Bush’s past, including his time at Yale, meeting Laura (Banks), working for his father (Cromwell), and his decision to run for governor of Texas. In the “present”, Bush is dealing with the Iraq war and its ramifications.

“W.” is an odd film that sometimes tries to be a serious drama, and other times branches off into satire territory. It is interesting, looking at Bush’s “daddy issues” and their motivation for the man he becomes. But then, performances like Newton’s Condoleezza Rice are downright campy and take away from the overall effect of the film. Also, dream sequences undermine the factual elements of the film, since it is unlikely that President Bush had any input into this film. Brolin’s performance is solid enough to make this worth seeing. Bush does not really come off that bad, the same cannot be said for Cheney. Liberals will think it doesn’t go far enough, conservatives will think it went to far, and those in the middle will probably find it the most interesting. Any way you look at it, “W.” will have you talking.