The black sheep of an established family, George W Bush (Brolin) was constantly rescued from trouble by his string-pulling father (Cromwell). Unable to settle on a career, the alcoholic Dubya drifts from job to job until he meets his soulmate Laura (Banks), becomes a born again Christian and enters politics to prove to his family that he's not useless. As US President he must respond to the atrocities of 9/11. And within his cabinet, Vice President Cheney (Dreyfuss) wants war, General Powell (Wright) wants diplomacy, and publicist Rove (Jones) wants ratings.

Stone assembles the story out of sequence, flickering back and forth from high-spirited antics to intense war-room debates, always returning to the central father-son dynamic that defines W's life. These serious interludes ground the otherwise freewheeling film and give it dramatic heft, even if there's nothing we haven't seen in other father-son dramas. Meanwhile, the film's rollercoaster structure refuses to reveal any greater meaning beyond a basic story of a slacker who makes something of himself.

In other words, beyond the fact that it's about a two-term US President, there's nothing particularly remarkable about the story or filmmaking. While he mentions virtually every serious issue this presidency has raised, Stone avoids addressing them in any depth, concentrating instead on Bush's personal journey and the War on Terror ideology. The cabinet discussions are easily the most riveting scenes, but like the rest of the film, we don't learn anything we don't already know.

So it's up to the cast to make the film something special, and that they do. Brolin dives deep under Bush's thick skin to catch both the the man's physicality and temperament, as well as creating a memorable movie character. His interaction is electric, especially with the terrific Cromwell, Dreyfuss, Jones and Keach (as his pastor). The women are fine in less-defined roles, while some scenes (such as one with Ioan Gruffudd as an unconvincing Tony Blair) feel half-baked. It's an odd mix of high comedy and low drama, and it's entertaining enough to keep us gripped. But in the end we wish Stone had gone much deeper than this.

themes, strong language

23.Oct.08 lff