Oliver Stone's filmmaking skills have come under question after a series of noted movie critics were left unimpressed by his eagerly anticipated George W. Bush biopic, W.

The JFK moviemaker rushed to shoot and edit the film so it could open in cinemas throughout the U.S. before the forthcoming presidential elections in November. And some of the industry's most respected film critics have taken aim at Stone for doing so - with one writer claiming the quality of the rush job is no better than a made-for-TV movie.

According to Britain's The Times newspaper, the subject matter - Bush's life from adolescence to his White House administration - is too much for a two hour movie, insisting the content gets "the better of Stone". And U.K. newspaper The Guardian's Dan Glaister says the film "plays like a TV movie rather than a cinematic epic", branding the project "conventional" compared to Stone's previous, edgier work.

However, most pundits have praised the film's lead Josh Brolin, insisting the star's turn as President Bush will most likely earn him a string of Best Actor awards, describing his performance as "arresting". Industry publication Variety says, "The actor offers a more than reasonable physical approximation and an interpretation that's convincingly boisterous and determined."

The film, which co-stars Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Ioan Gruffudd as Tony Blair, Thandie Newton as Condoleeza Rice and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, hits U.S. cinemas on October 17th.


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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)