Oliver Stone’s W. (2008/Lionsgate Blu-ray + DVD-Video)

 

Picture: B/C+     Sound: B/B-     Extras: B-/C+     Film: B-

 

 

It is hard to return to form, as Oliver Stone recently discovered after making a string of less-controversial feature films versus his usual challenging work when he decided to make a film about the life of former President George W. Bush while the man was still in office and the result is an interesting film simply entitled W. (2008).

 

Josh Brolin hits the nail on the head as Bush II, portraying him from his wild days as the younger brother of George H.W. Bush (James Cromwell), who would eventually become a U.S. President.  We see the senior Bush having the power to protect him, give him endless opportunities to have success of some kind (and blowing every chance) and then finally taking belated initiative with zero support from his family to run for governor of Texas.  He does this as the Bushes fear he’ll hurt older brother Jeb’s chances of winning the same seat in Florida, but in a twist they cannot believe, G.W. wins and Jeb loses at the time.

 

The biggest win of all time for G.W. is in meeting his future wife Laura (Elizabeth Banks, uncanny in one of the year’s most underrated performances) who helps him survive alcoholism, heart attack and politics along with best friend Karl Rove (the underrated Toby Jones) finds the dirtiest road to The White House.  Then it gets worse.

 

From there, Stanley Weiser’s screenplay thoroughly and accurately tells us everything from the disaster of the 2000 Election to using 9/11 to invade Iraq for personal and money reasons to the insane clown show those eight years added up to.  Those on the Right ignored the film while those on the Left wanted the film to tear G.W. apart, but Stone’s restraint and the decision to make G.W. a dignified man (flaws and all) gives G.W. all the benefits of the doubt and things still turn out to be the worst presidency in U.S. history.  Richard Dreyfuss, so good as then Vice President Dick Cheney, was unhappy that the film was not attacking enough, but he may have missed the key point.  The results speak for themselves and yelling them down only covers them up.

 

Ellen Burstyn, Scott Glenn, Stacy Keach, Bruce McGill, Jeffrey Wright and Thandie Newton all shine in bringing their real-life counterparts to life and keep the film going when it becomes uneven.  Burnout on the subject of Bush and his disastrous reign was on TV free 24 hours a day, no to mention the horrible effects of the endlessly irresponsible policies he initiated, so this is why the film did not do well all the way to awards season.  That is a shame, because this is worth seeing, no matter your opinion of the man and his times.  Whether Stone will continue to try to make serious, important films again is a mystery, but if he does not, W. will be his final word too.

 

 

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray and anamorphically enhanced DVD are both a little softer than the 35mm print I saw of the film and Stone has a new Director of Photography for him in Phedon Papamichael, A.S.C., who does a good job here.  However, their work does not seem as integrated as his past work with Robert Richardson.  The Blu is best in this case.  The DTS HD 7.1 master Audio (MA) lossless mix is better than the DVD’s Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, but both tend to be more restrained than they should be.

 

Paul Cantelon’s score is not bad, but the real highlight of the soundtrack besides its interesting editing is Stone’s interesting and sometimes eerie use of hit country songs, especially just before G.W. becomes president.  Outside of obvious choices (The Yellow Rose Of Texas) he picks Country and Country/Pop music of the kind that has not been made before or since, creating the sonic equivalent of an isolated world, in a sort of “Country Bubblegum” way that speaks to how out of touch G.W. is in an isolated, protected life and how he never leaves that bubble to the end of his presidency and life.  It is subtle, but the smartest thing about the film most will miss.

 

Extras in both formats include another solid Stone audio commentary and Dangerous Dynasty: The Bush Presidency.  The Blu-ray adds the theatrical trailer, No Stranger To Controversy: Oliver Stone’s George W. Bush featurette and deleted scenes with optional Stone commentary.  Another supplement on the film that shows their research and annotations in making the film is offered on both versions in two different ways.  The Blu-ray has it as an outright extra, while the DVD stores it as a DVD-ROM.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo