W.

Despite Oliver Stone’s reputation as a rabble-rousing troublemaker, W. ultimately comes off as an unexpectedly fair and balanced look at the life and career of George W. Bush – with the filmmaker seemingly (and routinely) going out of his way to subvert one’s less-than-flattering perception of the United States’ 43rd president. The viewer subsequently can’t help but walk out of the film with a much higher opinion of the notoriously incompetent commander-in-chief, as Bush is ultimately portrayed as a likeable good ol’ boy whose presidency seems to stem primarily from his desire to please his father. Stone, working from Stanley Weiser’s screenplay, devotes the lion’s share of W.‘s running time to the various political maneuverings that occur following 9/11, though the movie often flashes back to Bush’s early days as an aimless, heavy-drinking layabout. And while Stone initially proves adept at blending the two time periods, there inevitably reaches a point at which the lack of a linear structure becomes oppressive – with the ensuingly erratic nature of the proceedings effectively preventing the viewer from connecting wholeheartedly with the material. It’s consequently not surprising to note that certain sequences have a more pronounced impact than others, as the film’s emotionally-driven moments – eg Jeffrey Wright’s Colin Powell delivers an impassioned speech within the White House Situation Room – are every bit as stirring and affecting as one might’ve hoped. In spite of it’s various deficiencies, however, W. remains worth a look if only for the uniformly captivating performances – with Josh Brolin’s spellbinding work as the central character virtually justifying the film’s entire existence. The actor does a superb job of transforming Bush into a fully-realized, unexpectedly compelling figure that never slides into parody or caricature, to such an extent that one is hard-pressed to recall the real deal’s features as the movie continues to unfold. W. is, in the end, an ambitious failure that’ll most likely please political junkies, with the remainder of viewers sure to be left frustrated by Stone’s increasingly uneven modus operandi.

** out of ****