Despite the poor reviews W. has been receiving, I liked this film. I think people wanted it to be more politically charged, to have more teeth, but what you ultimately get is a developed character piece—and, in this regard, W. succeeds. To enjoy this film, you almost have to think of Bush as a fictional character, divorced from reality, with human ambition and foibles.

The portrayals of the real-life people—George W. Bush and Condoleeza Rice, especially—were well done and the dialogue was often funny. Josh Brolin got Bush’s accent and mannerisms down perfectly, reciting some of Bush’s famous lines with conviction. Furthermore, his performance as a man who loves baseball and boozing, but ends up in politics through familial legacy and pressure, is emotionally wrought and convincing. It’s a simple enough story, but one with which audiences can empathize.

I’m not sure how much research actually went into presenting a factually correct biopic. However, the story of a son who can never measure up to his namesake or step out of his brother’s shadow is a general backdrop around which actual events can twist to create a fascinating, though perhaps not entirely accurate, narrative. I do agree that W. could have provided more scrutiny of Bush’s political decisions and failures, but doing so would have detracted from the development of a complex and sympathetic protagonist, W., who is not evil, fanatically religious, or stupid.