Disappointing. Stone whipped this out in time for the US Presidential election, but it’s hard to see how it’ll make any significant impact on voters. Or why it even should.
Comment
11/07/08
W. (2008)
60
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:201
Fresh:120
Rotten:81
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: A surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the 43rd American president, W. is fascinating in spots, but merely rudimentary as a whole.
Theatrical Release:07-11-2008
Synopsis: Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. In an unprecedented undertaking, acclaimed director... [More]
Starring: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks
Director: Oliver Stone
Reviews for W.
Top Critic‘W.’ is neither coruscating nor edifying – but without the benefit of hindsight, it’s probably the best we can hope for.
11/07/08
Top CriticStone's best film in years and one of the decade's great political pictures.
11/07/08
Top CriticWhile W. lacks the forensic rigour of recent documentaries dealing with Bush’s legacy and recent history, it’s a thumpingly entertaining ride.
11/07/08
Top CriticThis movie is one big pulled punch. Dubya himself becomes a blank hole of neutrality and balance. Almost anyone else shown here would have made a more interesting subject for a biopic.
11/07/08
Top CriticAs the title character who is in almost every scene, Josh Brolin has done his homework well and offers a convincing interpretation of George W, effectively capturing his mannerisms and style of speech.
11/07/08
Top CriticReleased in the same week as the election of Barack Obama, it already has the feel of a period piece as opposed to a dynamic critique of a political force to be reckoned with.
11/07/08
In being non-partisan, Stone misses the chance to say anything truly pointed or pertinent; W. encroaches on TV-movie territory, with production values to match.
11/07/08
Top CriticBut is this an illuminating portrait of George W. Bush, or a searching examination of the Republican failures which led to the election of Barack Obama? It is, undeniably, not.
11/07/08
But the biggest problem with W. is that Stone, in an apparent effort to be even handed, seems afraid to touch on controversy and, instead, is content to give us a non-judgmental movie that says very little.
11/07/08
Top CriticAnd there will be no big awards for the film or the director because ultimately W does not convincingly achieve its main aim of explaining the big question: Why did he go to war?
11/07/08
Top CriticOliver Stone’s W – his best film since Nixon and proof that love-hate portraiture inspires him to a higher artistry than liberal polemicising.
11/07/08
Oliver Stone has a terrible sense of timing. This is a film that has been overtaken by events and already seems out of date.
11/07/08
Clearly there are many other ways of making a film about Dubya. But Stone’s version should at least be respected. It may be only half the story but that half contains enough to make us think, and keep on thinking how the hell it all happened.
11/07/08
An enjoyable, weirdly jaunty biopic with terrific performances, but the script doesn't go far enough and Stone refuses to stick the knife in.
11/07/08
With World Trade Center and this film, it's clear that Oliver Stone has lost his provocative maverick sensibilities. This is a smartly assembled biopic with a powerhouse cast, but its toothless approach makes it feel a bit pointless.
11/07/08
Stone attempts to give Bush a gumming. Teeth? His film is an undentured and lame hint at what he really feels. What he lacks here is the killer instinct.
11/06/08
Oliver Stone has an uncanny knack of making movies which are better appreciated many years after they are made, and W feels like it will be one of them.
10/10/08
I'm unsure who W. will really appeal to: It's a poor historical document; it's not nasty enough for people who hate Bush and too nasty for the few still supporting him.
08/30/09
Stone's filmmaking fails to charge the narrative with the needed turmoil
08/26/09
Latest News for W.
February 09, 2009:
RT on DVD: Oliver's W, Spike's St. Anna, and My Name is Bruce!
What better way to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama by watching Oliver Stone's W. this week on DVD? While a handful of middling studio releases hit home... More...
February 08, 2009:
This Stone-d Bush is a pampered village idiot prop, with Thandie's bubbleheaded Condi stealing the show. And while W's 'just make sure you hit no camels on the ass,' is wild, the movie begs the question, who is responsible? W: The Audacity Of Honing Up. 
More...
February 01, 2009:
This Stone-d Bush is a pampered village idiot prop, with Thandie's bubbleheaded Condi stealing the show. And while W's 'just make sure you hit no camels on the ass,' is wild, the movie begs the question, who is responsible? W: The Audacity Of Honing Up.
More...
November 14, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Is Zack And Miri Make A Porno On The Money (Shot)? Is Max Payne Maxing Or Taxing?
This week in the UK cinema screens we have Kevin Smith's latest, the intuitively titled Zack And Miri Make A Porno. Marky Mark Wahlberg stars in the video game adaptation Max... More...
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