History? In history we'll all be dead!

We've seen far too many films over the past couple of days and before they mount up further, here's another post about two more films as I try to play catch-up, should I feel the need to post reviews to everything? In an attempt to not watch as many films, I'm going back to watching DVD special features...Bond DVD's are almost as entertaining as the film's themselves.

FILM

W. - It was a night before decision to go see this film and I was shocked the next morning when half the class, including myself decided to come along, now I'm apparently "The Decision Maker", though hopefully it won't stick, it may mean making important decisions.

Anyhoo, how you pronounce the title is entirely up to you, whether it be dub-ya or double-you or something else entirely but odds on you'll still know what it's about, the life of George W. Bush, albeit a somewhat selective life story of Bush Jr. The film is directed by Oliver Stone who I've never really had that much of an interest in, I basically see Mr Stone as a headline seeking filmmaker, a tabloid filmmaker if you will. I must comment though that I did enjoy, if you can call the film enjoyment, Born On The Fourth Of July as well as films were he had scripting duties such as, for me the epitome of gangster movies, Brian DePalma's Scarface as well as the excellent but slightly depressing Midnight Express.

In terms of casting, the film finds a good cast who never look like their counterparts (as much as Stone may think when he implements them amongst real Bush speeches), but that doesn't matter, almost all the actors seem to know exactly who they're playing, besides Ioan Gruffudd who for me gets one of the biggest unintentional laughs in the film, playing Tony Blair, why not just get a good Blair impressionist? When talking of casting comment must be made on Josh Brolin, who sounds VERY much like Bush and this works quite well in helping make the film believable.

I have two massive queries about the film though, who is it for? and why? Surely everyone going to see the film already knows everything that goes on inside the White House and how decisions are made as well as knowing a little about George's backstory. Maybe we are supposed to sympathise with Bush, a man who was clearly never meant to be President. Thankfully, the film has several funny musical montages and a sequence where most of his administration are walking through a field, only to get slightly lost. W. is not a bad film, it's well put together and while it skips over several details which could be considered important such as the election fiasco(s) it makes up for it in terms of humour and a strong cast. Though, like Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, who is it for?

W - 4/10

Network - Network had been quite hyped up for most of the class and I have to say that in general it didn't disappoint. The film had several hilarious moments and some of the pitches don't seem a million miles away from modern TV shows. The film focuses mainly on the behind-the-scenes personnel, producer/exec producer/board member side which for me was very interesting. I initially thought that the characters here were quite over-the-top and eccentric but as the film developed, I noticed how scarily real they seemed, it almost seems perfectly plausible that these characters could exist at any of the major U.S. networks who are so governed by ratings that any form of art, story or general interest goes right out the window. I don't usually enjoy the "breaking of the 4th Wall" in any film or show, but in this film when Max speaks those final words to his lover,it makes sense and gives a slight nod to the audience, making the audience feel that bit more intellectual since even in those days, his words would have reflected the template set by romantic movies. The finale of the film is also spectacularly ingenious, the idea that there would be a meeting where members of the board and producers would discuss killing off a key presenter only to get good ratings still seems relevant today. Now THAT would make another series of Big Brother interesting...

Network - 7/10

There will be more tomorrow which will hopefully take me right up to date. Below, another silly quote.

Sienna Miller: "I just wanted to say that I can't believe I'm sitting in a bar drinking champagne next to Kevin Bacon."
Kevin Spacey: "Spacey"
Sienna: "Yeah, it is, isn't it!