Sympathy for the devil?

Considering George W. Bush's eventful time in office, it’s perhaps surprising that Oliver Stone’s controversial biopic of the man, W. (aka ‘Dub-ya’), feels so underwhelming. This fish-out-of-water story is by no means without its merits (Josh Brolin is hugely charismatic as the man himself) but, coming as it does days before Bush’s successor is elected, it seems that in the rush to beat the man to the Oval Office door Stone has taken his eye off the ball.

The film opens in 2002 with Bush and his cabinet/cronies discussing – with darkly comic undertones – the so-called Axis of Evil (Iran, Iraq and North Korea), before jumping back to the 1960s for a glimpse of his Alcohol-fuelled fraternity days. This bog-standard time-hopping style continues as it charts the key moments and relationships during his time in office alongside his unlikely rise to power.

Bush-haters hoping to find a two dimensional war-monger at the heart of a vitriolic parting-shot will be sorely disappointed. Sure, the drama that unfolds paints a man full of shortcomings – young Bush is frequently selfish, lazy and loutish – but the overwhelming feeling you’re left with is actually sympathy.

Stone’s Bush is a man living in the shadow of his father, George Bush Snr. His desperate efforts to please ‘Poppy’ Bush combine with family privilege and see him stray dramatically out of his depth. This is not a bad man, just the wrong one for the job.

Brolin holds the screen throughout and the supporting cast are largely excellent. However, despite a refreshing central arc that validates the choice of subject, Stone’s surprisingly dogged pursuit of sympathy (Richard Dreyfuss’s Machiavellian Dick Cheney is the real baddie here) actually robs the film of anything particularly dramatic and, shock horror, anything particularly controversial. A missed opportunity – entertaining, but missed nonetheless. Tony Griffiths