W.

Given his oft-stated political preferences, director Oliver Stone's W. is a relatively evenhanded if also scattershot biopic of the 43rd President. We first meet George W. Bush (Josh Brolin) in the White House, pondering the use of force against Iraq with Cabinet members and advisers including Vice President Dick Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss), Secretary of State Colin Powell (Jeffrey Wright), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn), National Security Adviser Condi Rice (Thandie Newton), and political guru Karl Rove (Toby Jones). The run-up to the Iraq War is intercut with flashbacks, beginning with Dubya's days as a drunken Yale frat boy, before proceeding through a succession of failed jobs, romance with future wife Laura (Elizabeth Banks), spiritual rebirth, and embrace of sobriety. The principal thesis advanced by Stone and screenwriter Stanley Weiser is that Bush has a deep-seated inferiority complex, as well as a love-hate relationship with his patrician father, George H.W. Bush (James Cromwell), leading junior to take action designed to either secure H.W.'s respect or avenge his honor (the filmmakers strongly hint that the second Bush's invasion of Iraq was motivated less by a search for WMDs than by his desire to remove Saddam, something his dad failed to do years earlier during the first Gulf War). While not as flamboyant as the director's earlier politically-themed films, W. is a reasonably compelling drama hampered by Stone's haphazard choices of which life moments to dramatize, as well as some uneven acting (although Banks is memorable as placid, supportive wife Laura, and the film portrays the First Couple's love life with dignity). A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Oliver Stone, an 18-minute “Dangerous Dynasty” featurette on the Bush presidency, a DVD-ROM-accessible filmmakers' research and annotations guide, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven biopic.] (E. Hulse)