W.

Whatever your political affiliation is this one is a treat. I had my apprehensions knowing this was an Oliver Stone film, but he packs a solid punch from both sides of the political tracks. Sure it leans a little harder left, but a truly magnificent journey into the world of the Bush family.

George W. (Josh Brolin) is chronicled in a way that boasts the proud ways of a Texan and upper-class, ivy-league educated, politically powerful family. From teenage troubles to outright battles with his father, W. is a man in search of what he wants - we soon find ask, what does he want? Approval from his father? Professional success? Loyalty to a task / cause? All of these questions are ingredients into the making of a man who would be one of our most controversial Presidents. 

I won't go into the obvious regarding the tale of events, although the definition they provide of W. as a man and leader are unforgettable. The only side we really don't get to see much of is him as a father. Brolin is firing on all cylinders with his portrayal of W. In fact, all of the acting in this movie is nothing short of terrific. Stone yanks you into the world of the Bush family and exposes their significance and the blemishes of W.'s terms in the White House without feeling like a tug-of-war match between Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann.

4 out of 5.