Oliver Stone’s controversial new film, W. stars Josh Brolin as President George W. Bush.  The Film depicts the triumphs and struggles of our 43rd president.  Oliver Stone and Josh Brolin explain to us that the movie is not about whether you love W. or hate him, it’s about how much impact the current president has had on our country. 

Filmazing:  This film took a tremendous amount of courage to do, especially about a guy who is not only still alive, but still in office. Tell me why you decided to do this movie now?

Oliver Stone: So to speak, he is in office. The name was not even mentioned at the Republican National Convention; he didn’t even show up. People don’t really pay attention. He was on T.V. the other day for a massive bail out, and he was like, ‘hurry up guys you have to do it before because I have to eat my salami sandwich, I got to run. The guy is very bizarre.  Doonesbury did get him correctly in some weird way back in the 2000 period.  Why now? Because it’s important! The man has changed the world completely in eight years.  The economy is a wreck. We are in two wars; we may be in five wars. There is this Policy of preemption around the world which is unbelievable.   We don’t have any clarity and our allies are very confused about who we are. I don’t know who is going to win our election. I’m not running for election, and neither is George Bush. I did three movies on Vietnam, and it didn’t change a thing, we went to War in Iraq. I have a very limited point of view, a very humble point of view about what a movie can achieve.

Filmazing: Do you think the film will influence some voters?

Oliver Stone: I only think the movie can give you a fuller perspective of George Bush.  A lot of people don’t know the story of George Bush, it has been hidden.  There is a veil around it. It helps you to understand who he is, how he got there, and frankly what we are doing and where we are going. There is nothing we have added, it’s all statements they have made and policies they have adopted.

Filmazing: How do you think the Bush’s will respond through this?

Oliver Stone: I think they will be very tough, very cruel, and you know what? I’d love to see it with him if he wants to sit with me, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think Josh really does him a favor because he does give him the benefit of the doubt on so many things.  Josh plays him like the cowboy he would like to be—the John Wayne figure; the, I don’t back down Red River character. I like Josh’s portrayal. And, Laura’s beautiful, and the family looks good. It will take time for Bush to wake up perhaps to see it.

Filmazing:  (At least wait until it comes out on DVD).

Oliver Stone: Well, I’d say ten or fifteen years, or who knows he might become Jimmy Carter and the habitat for humanity, or after he builds his library and nothing will be remembered.

Filmazing: Was it not only intimidating to play someone that is still alive, but still in office?

Josh Brolin:  Ahh! Intimidating! Yea, a little bit. Not so much intimidating, but a little unnerving because he is present on everybody’s mind. I think it was the idea that minutes after the movie everyone could be asking on CNN, ‘Did he do a good job? Was it too much of a carbon copy? Did he get the exaggerations? Did he get the body language?’ and all that stuff. We had to put all those thoughts aside and just do the movie for what it is because it was a really compellingly, well written story.  Oliver was the perfect Helmsman to do it with because he is someone I could trust, and lose myself in the character, knowing he would come up with a good movie in the end.

Filmazing:  What was your first reaction when you were asked to read for this role?

Josh Brolin: I didn’t read for the role. When Oliver approached me about playing the role, I didn’t have the most positive reaction.  It was out of fear, I needed someone to convince me, not even convince me, but explain why. I didn’t want to be parallel with George Bush! Well, why me? I don’t understand. And who are you and why do you see these similarities between me and George Bush?

Filmazing: What did he tell you about you? What did he see?

Josh Brolin: Whatever similarities or dissimilarities, or whatever—he didn’t tell me. He left that up to me; whatever process I had to go through myself. You know that’s another compelling part of who Oliver is, and how in tune he is with behavior and actors.  He knows what makes them work and what makes a movie.  The guy’s created a lot of amazing performances in his career. So, I’m very lucky to have him as a helmsman for sure.

Filmazing: That’s great tell me about your physical transformation: makeup, prosthetics, whatever?

Josh Brolin:   We had prosthetics. We went through a whole process of prosthetics; most of which didn’t work. I studied a lot—movement, and him.  His voice, how much Texas we wanted to bring in, how much Eastern we wanted to bring in, all of it. It was a long process in finding out what was going to work.

Filmazing: Do you think the film will influence the way the election comes out?

Josh Brolin: Absolutely—No, I have no idea. I don’t know!  I did the movie for the movie and how I felt.  When I read it, I really wanted to be involved in it.  I do hope it empowers people to go and vote. And, those who are registered who do not vote, I hope it makes them or gives them the feeling that they need to be heard, which I think is the whole point of doing a movie like this.