W

[Rick Darge]

I thought it was terrible. I'm convinced that Oliver Stone is a neocon in disguise. It made Bush look like an innocent saint, placing all blame and responsibility onto those that surrounded him. I thought it was going to be interesting going into it but then at the last minute I thought to myself, a movie about Bush is still just a movie about Bush. We're putting him on a pedestal that he doesn't deserve to be on.

 

[Kevin Wild]

I didn't like it much either, but not for the same reasons. Oliver Stone lives and dies by being provocative...and this movie didn't provoke anything!

I also don't think it's going to find an audience: People who like Bush will not go see this movie as it makes him look like a clown. People who can't stand Bush will not buy into the "sympathetic character" that he is painted as.

It opened strong out of curiosity, but I have a feeling it is going to die quickly.


On the other hand, 2 GREAT MOVIES at Austin Film Festival:
-Slumdog Millionaire-Brilliant in EVERY aspect
-Role Models-Absolutely hysterical and non-stop funny

 

[Tom Lowe]

I kind of enjoyed it as a spectacle with bits of satire, but it didn't feel like "a real movie." I don't think it makes Bush out to be sympathetic. Pathetic, perhaps, but not sympathetic.

Cheney's speech in front of the map, talking about seizing all the oil in Eurasia was really over the top... hehe.

Stone directed one of my alltime favorite movies, Wall Street. I will always have respect for him.

 

[Joel Kaye]

Cheney's speech in front of the map, talking about seizing all the oil in Eurasia was really over the top... hehe.

I haven't seen W but this reminded me of Syriana. There's a great podcast at Creative Screenwriting mag with the writer/director of Syriana where he mentions where the title of the movie came. He was interviewing someone and the word Syriana came up. It was the name of the country that would replace Syria, Iran and Iraq when they were all conquered and combined. (I'm not aware that was ever addressed in the movie itself)

The movie was written before the Iraq war and the writer did a TON of real world research. Worth a listen.

http://media.libsyn.com/media/creativescreenwritingmag/SyrianaQandA.mp3

 

[Craig Ryan]

Josh Brolin did it for me enough to enjoy it; his performance deserves real credit since he wasn't simply doing an over the top impression in the likes of Frank Caliendo; we've all seen so many Bush impressions, but for me this one really rang true.

Overall I agree with the notion that its hard to tell who Stone was making this film for. At some points I felt like I was watching SNL's first feature film (Thandie Newton's Rice for example) while other times it seemed to be a pretty legit biographical depiction. Overall I guess I walked away with a much greater understanding of W's motives as a man, but I didn't feel sympathetic towards him as a president.

 

[Kevin Wild]

Guys, not "sympathetic as a president," but as a person. Stone ABSOLUTELY was trying to build him up as a sympathetic type of character (conflict with father, black sheep, not as good as Jeb, etc.)

Again, this is why I don't think it will work with many. People do not want to sympathize with him...most (a dwindling few) people either like him (and thus don't see the need for sympathy) OR can't stand him and won't give him an iota of sympathy.

It's funny, James Cromwell stood up at the festival and defended the move as being made "not 4 years too late and not 10 years too early." I disagree. I think this movie may have been better if it was made in 8 or 10 years...with some healing time in there...

 

[Craig Ryan]

I think this movie may have been better if it was made in 8 or 10 years...with some healing time in there...

Totally concur; l also thought World Trade Center was still early even 5 years later.

BTW, here's an insightful article with some quotes from Brolin

http://current.com/items/89196253_oliver_stone_thinks_bush_will_like_his_damning_biopic_w

"W.' isn't intended to kick the man while he's down. 'Republicans can look at it and say, "This is why I like this guy," Brolin said. 'It's not a political movie. It's a biography. People will remember that this guy is human, when we are always [outside of the movie] dehumanizing him, calling him an idiot, a puppet, a failed president. We want to know in the movie: How does a guy grow up and become the person that he did?'"

 

[Charles Angus]

I'm convinced that Oliver Stone is a neocon in disguise.

Agreed.

 

[Tico Llaurador]

Oliver Stone is... well... Oliver Stone!