This is topic W. in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 10-19-2008, 05:55 PM:
 
Don't forget the period after the W!

This is a non-political review.

This is not a good movie. Like much of Oliver Stone's other work, it is just too heavy handed. He grabs on to a point a keeps it going and going and going. Should be much shorter.

Some excellent performances, though. Josh Brolin really captures George Bush, and Richard Dreyfuss was meant to play Cheney. Toby Jones looks a LOT like Karl Rove.. Only bad mark on the acting is Thandie Newton's poor caricature of Condaleeza Rice. Her voice and facial expressions are very annoying.

The film seems rushed, as if it was trying to get out before the election.

Not much worth seeing...wife & I both rate at C-.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 10-19-2008, 06:24 PM:
 
Today, Regal 15 in Eugene, #9, 35mm. Needed to be louder.

I thought it was great, very apolitical, really more a personal study of what shaped W and propelled him to the Oval Office and influenced him as The Decider. Wisely skips over a lot of stuff everyone already knows like the 2000 election controversy or replaying the events of 9/11. I really enjoyed it. There was scattered applause at the end.

4.5 stars out of 5.

EDIT - SPOILER ALERT
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There are a couple scenes that had me scratching my head. One is where W is out jogging by himself and seems to suffer chest pains. In another he chokes on a pretzel or something in the Oval Office and passes out on the floor. Is Stone suggesting that maybe W had a mini-stroke or heart attack or something? It's as if mini-stroke is offered as a possible explanation for Bushisms like "Fool me once... Won't get fooled again".

[ 10-19-2008, 08:47 PM: Message edited by: David Stambaugh ]
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-19-2008, 08:06 PM:
 
Since this an Oliver Stone movie I am surprised (and relieved) that it isn't longer.

I have only seen about 2 or 3 minutes of this movie so far, but that definitely qualifies me to review it. While the performances are mostly very good, I found it odd how Stone inserted the common "Bush-isms" that normally occur before press cameras. For example, the "Fool me once" blurb happens in a tense, private meeting in the movie. This leads me to believe that Stone inserted these just for the sake of inserting them, or he honestly believes he makes these same exact gaffes all the freakin' time. Probably the former. I don't like the ending. I'm sure it is a metaphor for something, but I still don't get it.

The trailer for "The Spirit" which is attached rocks da hizzouse wit da tru sound. It is likely because of this trailer that some presentations of this movie are played at too low a volume. The Spirit looks like it will be lame, though. My print of W. reads 5s, 6's and an occasional 7 on the Dolby Digital track... highest I've ever seen without F-ing. That right there is an indication that it was printed at 900x speed to get this thing released as soon as possible.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 10-19-2008, 08:41 PM:
 
The bit about the President chocking on a pretzel must have happened only recently before the movie was made because CNN recently showed a clip of the real W with a bruise on his face saying something like "My mother always told me to chew my food carefully and as they say, mothers are always right."

I saw the movie yesterday and enjoyed it very much. Of all of the actors playing the parts in W's administration and life, Richard Dryfuss not only looked like the real Dick Chaney but but also played the part very well.

-Claude
 

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Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 10-19-2008, 09:37 PM:
 
Enjoyed it, had a good time and some laughs. Love RD, doesn't matter what he's in always a great actor. Brolin IS Bush in this film. James Cromwell was great as Bush Sr. Thandie Newton was horrible in this, I thought she was a robot or something. Many quotable lines in this film and decent cinematography.

1/2 out of 5
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-20-2008, 12:10 AM:
 
I'd like to sample Thandie Newton's moisture...

OK. I'm sorry. Go to jail. Do not collect $200.

 

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Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 10-20-2008, 01:24 AM:
 

quote: David Stambaugh

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In another he chokes on a pretzel or something in the Oval Office and passes out on the floor. Is Stone suggesting that maybe W had a mini-stroke or heart attack or something? It's as if mini-stroke is offered as a possible explanation for Bushisms like "Fool me once... Won't get fooled again".

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The pretzel thing happened some time ago, though I don't know when. Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan was on NPR's 'Wait Wiat Don't Tell Me' this past Saturday and was asked 'what really happened', as apparantly some people couldn't buy the excuse of choking on a pretzel and passing out as the reason Bush had a bruise. According to McClellan no one knows for certain what happened except Bush, because apparantly it happened while he was alone in the residence part of the White House.
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 10-20-2008, 01:48 AM:
 
I suggested to my boss that during the run of this film at our theater we should display all the packages of m&m's in the concession stand upside down- - so they look like little w's!

(He told me to go back up to the booth...and lock the door)

 

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Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 10-20-2008, 10:32 AM:
 
I saw this picture yesterday, and now having had overnight to digest it, I'm left with much of a feeling of actors doing characters, either for the good or bad.
The early parts, to me, were too long. The frat party, courting Laura, out on the football field, etc. just added to running time.
Maybe the rest of it is too recent, and becomes a fictionalized replay of actual news events. It is always really hard to have actors portray people with whom we are familiar from TV news. It can work well with such as David Strathairn's portrail of Ed Murrow in GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, since Murrow hasn't been seen for many years, but current politicians are another story.
I did feel, however that Brolin really brought off Bush's vocal delivery, almost to the point where he might get cast on Saturday Night Live.
Another pet peeve is the use of the hand-held camera whenever W. was drinking, or a bit off kilter. I can see what Oliver Stone intended, but that, together with very tight closeups, always distract me from the story.

DM
 

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Posted by Joe Elliott (Member # 4006) on 10-22-2008, 10:59 PM:
 
Jim, that was a great idea. Some people don't like to do promotional stuff. I guess they think it will just be more work. Too bad. If I had come to your theater and saw that, I would have bought a package just as a tribute to originality.
 

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Posted by Carol May (Member # 4068) on 10-25-2008, 08:24 PM:
 
A friend and I saw a screening of W. this afternoon and were very pleasantly surprised. We were expecting good performances but not much by way of a story. There wasn't too much story, really, but what was there kept us interested, laughing, and we were surprised when it ended. It did not seem like 129 min. at all.

Karl Rove was by far the best character. W was good, Condi was good (despite someone's negative impression earlier). James Cromwell didn't look anything like GHWB, but he was effective.

The Laura character was pretty bad, as was Rummy.

The movie got more overtly political near the end, but it didn't go on too long so it didn't detract from the comedic/satiric aspect.
 

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 10-26-2008, 09:48 AM:
 
The pretzel incident happened in 2002.

From the Wikipedia:

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On January 14, 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush emerged in front of a press conference with a very prominent broken blood vessel welt on his cheek, and said that he had choked on a pretzel while watching television the day before. Bush had reportedly been sitting on his couch, 90 minutes into watching an NFL football Miami vs. Baltimore play-off game on television, when he choked on the pretzel, falling to the ground, injuring himself, and briefly losing consciousness before awakening to see his dogs Barney and Spot showing alarm at his state. Laura Bush was reportedly in the adjoining room at the time, and Bush was alone watching the football game.

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