Oliver Stone's latest film, W., is set to hit theaters this Friday, and some might wonder why one would make a film about the president of the United States who's still in office.  Early reviews have pointed that the film might feel inconclusive, simply because the story isn't over yet—we're still, after all, in the middle of an intense presidential campaign set against the backdrop of a financial crisis and international woes.  But for the cast and crew of the biopic, that's exactly the point.

How many political films have criticized a sitting president?  “Not one!” lead actor Josh Brolin said in a recent interview.  “Ultimately, it made it more attractive, because it hadn't been done.”

“It's urgent,” Stone added.  “It may be too late.  I would like to know why we elected him, who he is and what happened to the country.  It's going on as we speak.  He's not being re-elected … but his policies are going to be around for ages.”

Brolin saw in the production of the film an opportunity to study a political figure whose viewpoints he is essentially at odds with.  “[Actor] Richard Jenkins told me you don't have to like the character you're playing, and I agree,” he said.  “But in studying him, and getting past my cosmetic view of how I perceived him, it was nice to be able to study up on his life and rehumanize him in my mind.  I don't know if it has to do with me liking him more or less.  It has to do with remembering that he's a human like the rest of us.”

The film thus translates into a portrait of the leader's life, from his years at Yale to his years as president of the country.  Some may see it as a heartfelt look at Bush's personal life, and some may see it as a humorous ridicule of the president, but Stone guarantees that he aimed to keep the performances respectful of their actual counterparts, and his facts are as real as possible.  “I don't want to engage in malice,” he said.  “The movie was not done that way.  It was done with a fair, true portrait.  The Bush haters, the Bush lovers—they're on the fringes for this movie.”

But will Bush himself watch this film?  After all, he's avoided magazines, books and films that are critical of him, and this is perhaps no exception.  But Stone thinks it could happen.  “Maybe in 20 years—who knows?” he said.  “The man could change … He might end up becoming another person.  But I doubt it.”


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: MTV News
(Image courtesy of Lions Gate Entertainment)