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...Sure, the film explores the tension between Bush Junior and his “Poppy,” former President George H. W. Bush (James Cromwell). It examines Junior’s inferiority complex within his historic family and his fight to achieve credibility in the eyes of his parents. While the movie does not resolve these issues—to do so would be impossible—the real problem is its lack of substantial commentary on Bush’s daddy issues...
...This is the failure that lies at the heart of “W.” No matter how deeply Stone delves into Junior’s psychology, the unavoidable fact remains that Stone has neither anything new to say nor a novel way to say it. A gripping presidential biopic needs insight and nuanced, thorough storytelling, but Stone’s decision to rush the movie to release before the election—it was shot in a mere 46 days—certainly shows...
...film is structured as a jumbled, perplexing series of episodes that fail to come together in a cohesive, satisfying picture. Bouncing between flashbacks of Junior’s youth and his first term as president, “W.” has no method to its madness. Rather than illuminating the modern-day scenes, the flashbacks only slow the movie by repeatedly depicting Bush as a misguided youth and, later, a born-again cowboy-politician...
...aftermath of Princess Diana’s death, director Stephen Frears proved that a movie could successfully depict current political leaders in an intimate way. Whereas “The Queen” boasted a fresh take on the dynamics of the royal family, “W.” is an uninspired and muddled one-man show. It’s neither terrible nor particularly good. Stone may want the audience to wonder why and how this man is President, but he never puts his own distinctive mark on the question...
...then, should anyone pay 10 dollars to see a pedestrian rehashing of what has been abundantly evident since Bush took office almost eight years ago? “W.” provides no compelling answer. Save the money and watch the real news instead. Anything going on in the current presidential election is vastly more gripping than “W.,” and unlike the movie, the end result will prove anything but conventional...