My latest Sympatico/MSN DVD column is up, discussing Oliver Stone’s “W.” without ever quite using the word “irrelevant”.
The movie continues to fascinate me, in the same way that Bush himself fascinates me. I’d love to consider him in depth … I just don’t think there’s all that much depth there in the first place.
Anyway, take a look and see if y’all don’t agree.
Everyone talks about Thandi Newton’s bizarre performance (and justifiably so), but I was most disappointed by Jeffrey Wright’s toothless portrayal of Colin Powell. It seems that Stone is intent on absolving Powell of any guilt about the whole “WMD” lie, so instead he ends up making him look like a giant pussy. Somehow I think he’s a more complicated figure than that.
I think an HBO miniseries on Powell is in order…
I think that’s the problem — Powell just disappears into the background of the film, through a combination of a (deliberately) weak performance and an underwritten role, while Newton charges at the camera as if she’s trying to eat it. You just don’t remember Wright was there at all.
Personally, I think Paul Winfield nailed the Powell persona in “Mars Attacks!”, but no one believes me …