W

release year: 2008
genre: drama
viewing setting: home DVD, 2/16/09

synopsis: George W. Bush changes from a restless, wild youth into the 43rd President of the United States.

impressions: I don't like politics or political movies, so I'm not sure how much of this is accurate, but I thought it did a good job covering key moments in the man's life and Presidency. After watching this, I gained a newfound appreciation of the stresses and often-impossible-to-solve problems that any President faces. You can't listen to everyone who complains or has their own idea about how to fix something - sometimes you just have to do what you think is right.

something this movie has that no other movie has: A really disturbing idea about how the war in Iraq was conceived.

acting: Josh Brolin did a great job with the speech and mannerisms of Bush. Elizabeth Banks is Laura Bush, who is loving and supportive. James Cromwell is the often-demanding Bush Sr. and Ellen Burstyn is the equally-headstrong Barbara Bush. Richard Dreyfuss is Dick Cheney (shown in a slightly-negative light.) Jeffrey Wright is Colin Powell (shown in a slightly-positive light.) Scott Glenn is Donald Rumsfeld (shown in a neutral light.) Thandie Newton is Condoleezza Rice, who was depicted as basically the sort of advisor who just nods and says what they think you want to hear, makes their own stupid little jokes, and so on. I actually know someone who looks, acts, speaks, and works like this character in this movie, it was uncanny.

final word: Entertaining interpretation of the Bush presidencies.

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