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198.151.12.8
It's compelling. It's well done. James Brolin's portrayal is both a convincing imitation and a nuanced character portrayal.
I liked it a lot more than a standard biopic, because it's not structured like a standard biopic. Rather than the linear biography, Oliver Stone knows that we know the events of Bush's life and he covers the personal events that surround the big events. It's an odd and indirect method. It works because we are living in Bush's era. I wonder, in 40 and 50 years, when people remember Bush about as well as we remember Eisenhower, whether this will make much sense.
But for us now, it's a pretty brilliant approach. The uncredited co-star of the first half of the movie is the everpresent bottle of Jack Daniels.
I have no real idea how much of this portrayal may be based on reality, but it is fascinating. Bush as black sheep, party animal, can't hold a job, embarrassment to the Bush name. Karl Rove as "genius boy," the guy who unleashes Bush's charm as his great weapon to succeed at winning elections. Rumsfield as the promoter of American world empire. And finally, Bush again as the insecure underachiever, trying in the most public way to outdo his father.
Maybe it's all fiction, maybe some of it is true. But it is a compelling movie to watch.
Follow Ups:
I didn't find it compelling or well done. I found it disjointed and pretentious. Oliver Stone relies wacky imagry and cliche close ups of brooding actors in place of good old fashion cinematic narative. This one had all the problems of his last presidential flick, Nixon. Oliver Stone IMO needs to leave the art movies to artists. He should go back to doing what he did best. Tell tall tales. JFK was IMO a terrific movie. It drew me in and sold me in the moment on an amazing amalgamation of every conspiracy theory no matter how far fetched that surrounded the assasination of JFK. That is movie making. IMO, like Nixon, W. was a waste of excellent acting on a film that was in desperate need of direction.
Since I loath Bush and everything he stands for (and has done to the country), this is bound to be one of those movies I'll either love or hate.
Yeah, I can see how it would be 'compelling', but does that make for an enjoyable movie-watching experience?
I guess I'll wait to rent the darn thing when it comes out on DVD.
I'm glad I did. See it rather than have any pre-conceived ideas.
Baba-Booey to you all!
(nt)
Did it cover the part where at Yale he said frat pranks where pledges were burned with coat hangers was OK? He told the NY Times back then it was no different than getting burned by a cigarette.
ET
Isn't much of a spoiler- but the movie shows a sadistic initiation ceremony at Yale where young Bush is accepted while standing in ice water having liquor poured down his throat- but no coat hangers visible. Then later, when Cheney is talking about "enhanced interrogation," Bush laughs and says it reminds him of the fraternity in college. So it does make that connection, albeit briefly.
cares, now that he's in his lamest of seasons?
What does he like to read, do in his spare time? He doesn't drink, allegedly doesn't mess around: any revelations there? How about gambling, or is Bush personal-habit perfect? Does he have a historical figure, political or otherwise (besides Jesus, of course.....) he emulates or especially honors?
W spent forty years of his life with general information that he partied a lot pretty much the only available info. But, as anyone older than a teenager knows, a life has more to it than that. What about his military service? Nothing new, either, right?
To just see a parade of good actors going through motions we already know about isn't particularly enticing, especially since the larger-than-life originals still are on the stage.
if the portrayal is actually true to life, I got a big insight into the man that I did not have before.
However, I am regarding it mostly as a work of fiction, and I enjoyed it on that level, not as a learning experience.
...the primary theme of the film seems to be W, a failed loser and alcoholic, trying to impress his father who likes his brother better.
While that may not be new, it certainly explains a lot, like the Iraq War and the obsession with toppling Sadaam, for example.
It's meant as a character study and is based on a book, IIRC.
Similar in some ways to Stone's "Nixon" and less his "JFK".
d
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