Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Fri Oct-17-08 01:06 PM
"The Official W. Post"
Right now, it's pretty low on Rotten Tomatoes, but it did get very positive reviews from some big-name critics, including 4 stars from Ebert and a notice from Manolha Dargis that made me sit up.
I'm looking forward to this, mostly because everyone has agreed Brolin's performance is sensational, maybe even worthy of some Oscar talk.
5. "Yeah...It Does Look Like Rather Comedic...." In response to Reply # 1
..but knowing Oliver Stone...it's gonna have some truths/conspiracies all up in it...so I'm looking forward to seeing whut he exposes and how he pokes fun at this administration...I mean think about it...idk for sure...but isn't Bush the only Prez to have a "major motion picture" made of him? (besides JFK, and no B movie shits)...
6. "Stone has been saying that its more of a comedy" In response to Reply # 5
I think that's one problem with the reviews. People are expecting a harsh critique and Stone made an open-minded farce. Or at least, that's how he's been describing it.
3. "i have to see it, but my expectations are low." In response to Reply # 0
i doubt that it will be anything like a serious examination of his presidency.
a negative review in the washington post today ended by saying: "Why would we want to see the movie when we're still in the movie -- and when it looks like we'll be in it long after its protagonist has made his exit?"
26. "thats shitt criticism though -" In response to Reply # 3
maybe what they said is true, but that has no bearing on the quality of the movie itself. Thats like saying "why would I want to go see Fade to Black? I just went to a Jay-Z concert last week."
9. "I meet not make it this weekend, but I'm definitely interested" In response to Reply # 0
When Stone is on top of his game, he's great.
Part of me wonders if this movie is coming too soon, and they should have taken a little time to get a little perspective on the full effects of W.'s actions. I mean, W. is always going to be viewed as a shitty president, but we have yet ot see how fucked up the world is because of him.
12. "Jeffery Wright blacked out. Also, it was actually sort of nice to Bush." In response to Reply # 0 Fri Oct-17-08 09:23 PM by ActWon
Oh, Stone goes in on Dubya's partying and inability to keep any jobs. He doesn't hide that fact that Bush was never good at public speaking, either. But the film goes through a lot of trouble to build Dubya's strong father issues and makes a point of portraying Dubya as a observer with good intentions about halfway through.
In the movie itself, you start feeling sorry for the character when he loses his first try as a young governor to a obnoxious redneck Democrat who was actually much worse than he was.
The few conference/War Room scenes were very interesting, though Dubya keeps quiet outside of earnestly/naively wanting to spread democracy and being frustrated about his administration hiding information from him. There were several comedic one-liners, but nothing out-of-place or obviously meant to caricature. It's part drama, part satire---nowhere near as goofy or full of "liberal propaganda" as the trailers and hype made it out to be.
BIG PART: The film focuses only on Dubya, from college up to Saddam's toppling. There is no Katrina, Alberto Gonzales, 9/11 (other than mention by name), Guantanamo Bay (humorously referenced), or either Presidential election event.
15. "no drunk daughters either" In response to Reply # 12
>There is no Katrina, Alberto Gonzales, 9/11 (other than mention by name), Guantanamo Bay (humorously referenced), or either Presidential election event.
If you're looking for a seriously etherous rundown of why Bush is an awful president, this is not your movie. It's not that type of film.
As a farce, it worked fine. It had strong performances (I hope Brolin gets some Oscar buzz, and Wright and Dreyfuss were both very good as well) and made Bush into a very compelling character. It wasn't ether, it wasn't too sympathetic, it just showed him as a human. It was more "inspired by true events" than a fact-heavy examination. Oliver Stone's much better doing this than he is making "serious epics" (Alexander.) Just go in thinking of it as a character-driven comedy.
Elizabeth Banks was a sexy ass Laura Bush, too.
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12 play and 12 planets are enlighten for all the Aliens to Party and free those on the Sex Planet-maxxx
39. "shit.Somethin' happened" In response to Reply # 32
he doesn't even use his trademarks anymore..I remember the first time I watched JFK,NBK,U - Turn,hell Any Given Sunday.JFK!!!!I was MOVED-his movies used to have their own feel to them,now they seem like they could of been directed by anybody
41. "'Alexander' really threw me off..." In response to Reply # 39
It really had the potential of becoming a great epic movie
But it took a really bad turn about 1/3 of the way into it.
I blame Ollie for that.
************************************** "I'm sick of followin' my dreams. I'm just gonna ask where they goin', and hook with them later." - Mitch Hedberg
"I don't think muthafuckas went to the moon either, but that's just me."-Mos
28. "I enjoyed it... (SPOILER of sorts)" In response to Reply # 0 Sat Oct-18-08 10:49 PM by SammyJankis
my gf got bored with it quickly even though she picked it but that's beside the point.
but i really liked the character story of the man. it doesn't take a certain stance politically even though i'm sure oliver stone or even brolin for that matter are fans of bush but the presentation of the material was well done.
it did however made me feel sympathetic for the bush as the man not as the president by the portrayal of him as the first son, the junior forever trying to live in his father's shadow and trying so very hard to win his approval. and even when he accomplished what his father could not have, that being a second term based on a failed war policy. i couldn't help but feel some kind of way for him or at least the character or caricature as a man. and i'm sure that every man regardless of the politics can relate to that.
(SPOILER)
and another point. the scene that stays with me the most is the boardroom scene where colin powell was trying hard to object to the invasion of iraq and everyone including condeleeza was going against him. and if that scene was actually true it's very telling of what's currently going on in this current political environment and how this so called war has turned out in general. i mean dude was flat out telling all of them that this would be a disaster of epic proportions and they wouldn't listen i mean man just to think that we wouldn't even had been in this mess any of it at all if they just would have listened.
___
And who are you; the proud lord said, that I must bow so low?
31. "Tenet gets left off the hook too" In response to Reply # 28
>(SPOILER) > >and another point. the scene that stays with me the most is >the boardroom scene where colin powell was trying hard to >object to the invasion of iraq and everyone including >condeleeza was going against him. and if that scene was >actually true it's very telling of what's currently going on >in this current political environment and how this so called >war has turned out in general. i mean dude was flat out >telling all of them that this would be a disaster of epic >proportions and they wouldn't listen i mean man just to think >that we wouldn't even had been in this mess any of it at all >if they just would have listened.
But I think that telling is pretty consistent with Richard Clarke's and Bob Woodward's takes on the runup. Plus, let's not forget that "having a clear exit strategy" was referred to as the Powell Doctrine during those days.
37. "I thought about how this fits in with W's current mood" In response to Reply # 35
>and W came across as a good-intentioned, albeit horribly >naive, man.
Everyone says his attitude at this point is basically "Can't wait to get out of here so I can go back to Crawford and chill." A lot of people are upset with this, because it's like he still doesn't realize how much he's fucked up, but his intentions were so good that he probably will never realize just how bad it was.
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12 play and 12 planets are enlighten for all the Aliens to Party and free those on the Sex Planet-maxxx
36. "That was pretty weak" In response to Reply # 0
Dryfuss was hilarious, and Brolin was great. I was surprised by how much I liked the dude who played Rumsfeld 'cause I was convinced Cromwell should've played him.
Thandie Newton was fucking awful though. Dear lord, I really wanted her to stop being in the movie.
But that's just acting. They could have had the principals all play themselves and this still would have been asscream. This was amateurish. Stone simply had very little to say, but a lot of time in which to say it. I thought his narrative choice of showing Bush as a sympathetic character was fine, but he just relied on caricature and filling in the blanks instead of anything approaching thoughfulness, creativity or inspiration.
Interesting to watch for some good and fun acting, but there's a lot separating this movie from good ones.
38. "Brolin was brilliant. The movie, though, was not." In response to Reply # 0
It was interesting to me on some level, because I've been a follower of politics since my pre-teen years, but as a movie it was pretty weak.
What was the point? I understand what Stone's point was, but I guess I'm asking what was the point in trying to make that point?
We didn't really learn anything new about Bush. It doesn't make me think very differently about him - I always thought that he was puppet controlled by Cheney and Rove, and that he did truly believe what he claimed to believe (which happened to be a series of terribly wrong beliefs). He's a simple guy. I never looked at him as Machiavellian in the way that Nixon was and Cheney is. This movie backed all of that up, but so what?
My main problem is that Stone wasted his forum. It felt a little rushed - like they tried to get it out now to capitalize on Bush's unpopularity and the interest in the election. I would have rather had him wait a few years to make this movie, and make it a deeper mediation on Bush's presidency. This movie had a hard time walking the line between farce and serious drama. The famous quotes and misstatements were out of place during serious scenes.
40. "RE: The Official W. Post" In response to Reply # 0
i thought this was a great movie, i am glad that this wasnt a bush is bad vehicle, becasue that would of negated its true message, that even though a person makes bad decision's that doesnt make them a bad person. and i can be wrong, but i dont think that katrina was included becasue the timeline of the movie did not go to that point. i do think they should of showed him on 9/11 becasue he even hinted when he was talking to the rev about running for pres, about "something big happening and the county needed him" i think the movie was just ot show people that bush is a man first, and like all men he is driven by something, his begin his father's acceptance.
--------------------------------- <----DAMN! Straddling the Line Between Genius and Insanity
42. "It was..what it was...a comical farce" In response to Reply # 0
Josh Brolin was spot on as Bush and should get a nomination for the sheer act of making dubya sympathetic..to a point.
elizabeth banks is totally underrated and still is...she was great as laura--she stood by him when she should have left YEARS AGO.
richard dreyfuss--hands down, he needs a best supporting actor nod for his work as cheney...
toby jones needs to throw his hat in the ring as rove..slimy, sleazy and quietly manipulative to a fault.
thandie newton: she was spot on as condi: a yes woman, she played her as someone who a) didn't have a voice b) was invisible and c) enjoyed being such. and, we all know that condi is ALL those things...she maybe the most powerful black woman on the planet next to oprah, but she has NO power in that cabinet...plain and simple.
jeffrey wright: great actor, but kinda miscast as powell...it seem like he faded into the background which didn't make sense since Powell is so..commanding i guess.
but, it was good...i had little to NO expectations and it ended up being a decent movie...
oliver stone HAS fallen off in recent years and i don't think he will EVER get back to his previous glory post alexander....
but the movie will make its money back and oliver will get him some coin from the international gross since he's still loved in europe, asia, africa and australia.
44. "RE: Boring ass flick" In response to Reply # 0
Just like last year's Lions for Lambs, W. is a boring, pointless, uninteresting, uninspired propaganda film. I agree with the earlier post that stated this is a Josh Brolin vehicle. His performance is Oscar worthy. But I still don't recommend this film at all.
As far as Stone, this is the first film of his I have watched. I do not fuck with Stone, with his half truths and lies. I feel the same way about Ron Howard. Although i watch some of his shit. I go in knowing it is SHIT. I do not buy the premise of W. at all. I know it is total bullshit. Only the dumbest and most brainwashed of the American populace would buy it. Yes i am calling Stone a disinformationist.
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