Oliver Stone's newest movie about the leader of the free world lost out this weekend to a movie adaptation of a video game and I am not at all surprised. Although it could barely be called a shoddy opening weekend for "W" it seems in an election year that is this important more folks would be interested in catching the movie if for no other reason to talk about it. Alas, that was not the case - clearly what happened was that folks who have a strong dislike for Dubya went out in hordes to see the movie and to laugh in agreement at his dimwittedness. What these dimwits ended up laughing about was a different story.
More the story of a young man with identity and self-esteem issues (and alcohol) dealing with his father's disappointment in him and his desire to be something more - it would be simple to write it off as a spoof of a man who tends to say some pretty dumb stuff and does not garner any respect from more than half the country (let alone the rest of the wrold). This is not what it was though.
Whether or not he intended to Oliver Stone managed to humanize a man who for so long has been demonized in the movies and media. Sure, I hardly agree with George W. but this doesn't change the fact that he is a human being and rarely does a movie or any media make you take a for-serious look at someone you previously did not respect and force you to rethink your position (and even more so to take them seriously as a human being).
Just like "Burn After Reading" there was plenty of inappropriate laughing (sure it's funny that he just said 'misunderestimated me' - we've all heard it before - but is it funny when it's taking place in the War Room and they're talking about the reasons for invading Iraq? And don't give me a line about irony and laughing at the absurdity of it all - the only absurdity going on is the American public's inability to look at things without their own distorted lense firmly in place. Newspapers used to pride themselves on bias-free reporting but American's can't even practice bias-free viewing of a Hollywood movie - no wonder it just doesn't exist most anywhere anymore.)
So here is my bias-filled review; Oliver Stone knows how to direct a movie, George Bush is entertaining as hell as a topic of a movie, and Stanley Weiser knows how to write a hell of a father-son story. Suffice to say the movie would get a better review than the audience - but I'll save that for another day.
