W.

It would be reasonable to think that director Oliver Stone, the lefty firebrand, would portray George W. Bush negatively in his biography. Surprisingly, W. mostly feels pity for a guy who, as per the film, was ill-prepared for the future that destiny had in mind for him.

Dubya is portrayed by Josh Brolin as a good-natured underperformer who, after being a born-again Christian, declares he hopes to accomplish something worthwhile. Thandie Newton's portrayal of the Condoleezza Rice is especially cruel, as W. contemplates what occurs when a seasoned moron succumbs to the influence of warmongers with faulty intelligence.

Director Stone makes a persuasive proposal that Bush actually never truly desired to be a president - he would have been happy if he had remained in League Baseball — but the whole universe had to suffer due to the miscalculation of his own aptitude and talents. W. is not scathing or satirical; rather, it is weirdly nostalgic and even melancholy, which is remarkable for a Stone movie.

Year of Release: 2008

Stars: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 58%