Nothing Funny
W The Film

http://www.wthefilm.com/index2.html

Fighting depression and despondency over John McCain’s sure and certain loss, the ProConPundit was on vacation last week in Savannah, Georgia. I got back on Friday evening and was very much aware that it was opening night of the movie, W. I normally eschew Olive Stone movies because they tend to not bother letting the truth get in the way of a riveting story. I decided that I wanted to see W anyway because, unlike other Oliver Stone movies, the previews I saw seemed laugh out loud funny. Because it was a political movie and I think everyone is into politics like I am, I just presumed I would never be able to get into see the movie on opening night. I went to my Kenosha home and bought a ticket online for the 12 Noon showing Saturday of W at the Kenosha Tinseltown Theater. I was so proud of myself. I imagined walking ahead of the throngs of people to see the movie. Turns out I was wrong on two counts. First, I was one of 6 people who watched the movie and second, there was not one damn thing that was funny about the movie.

The casting was superb. Josh Brolin played W and he was great. One of my favorite actresses, Ellen Burstyn played Barbara Bush and was fantastic. James Cromwell played President Bush–and from now on, whenever I say President Bush, I will be referring to the real President Bush who served as our 41st President from 1988 to 1992. Cromwell was a compelling Bush. Elizabeth Banks played an adorable and bright Laura Bush. Richard Dreyfuss portrayed an evil Dick Cheney. Karl Rove was depicted as nearly perverted by Toby Jones. Thandie Newton played an idiotic Condoleezza Rice. Jeffrey Wright played Colin Powell and Scott Glenn played a stunning Donald Rumsfeld.

So much of what is told in the movie are things that are only known by people who would have never divulged them. So I didn’t think it was terribly credible. It was basically the story of the rivalry between Bush father and son, W’s dream of being a president more like Reagan than like his father, and the struggle between allies of President Bush I and the neo-cons who have influenced, formed and informed the presidency of W.

One weird moment in the movie was a lunch meeting shortly after W realized that there were no WMD. He was furious and his closest advisors were trying to explain, regroup, and appease him. Rummy was pre-occupied to the point of obsession with the pecan pie that was served.

It was a good movie to see. Don’t think it’s gospel truth but enjoyable nonetheless. One thing it wasn’t: funny.