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Movies / Upcoming / Bush's Brain
Bush's Brain

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Bush's Brain (2004)

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Reviews Counted:48

Fresh:30

Rotten:18

Average Rating:6.1/10

Consensus: Most of the evidence is more circumstantial than conclusive, but it's still a disturbing portrait of misuse of political power.

Runtime: 80 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: Not to be mistaken for an exploration of the 43rd US President's gray matter, BUSH'S BRAIN takes a look at the shadowy figure of the man behind George. W. Bush's rise to the Oval Office. Karl Rove... Not to be mistaken for an exploration of the 43rd US President's gray matter, BUSH'S BRAIN takes a look at the shadowy figure of the man behind George. W. Bush's rise to the Oval Office. Karl Rove may be an unfamiliar name to many, but to the Bush family he is an invaluable political ally who has worked in a carefully disguised capacity for many years. Rove ghosted his way through Bush Sr.'s presidency with such silent ease that a mention of his name would have been met with indifferent shrugs and feverish head scratching. His attempt to pull off the same trick twice when Bush Jr. was elected almost came to fruition, until the publication of James Moore and Wayne Slater's startling exposé of Rove in their 2003 book, also titled BUSH'S BRAIN. Filmmakers Michael Shoob and Joseph Mealey quickly picked up the baton from Moore and Slater, producing this damning filmic indictment of Rove and the Bush presidency. From political cover-ups, to an uncanny ability to manipulate facts and figures, the directors leave no stone unturned as they dig up the dirt on the little-known political aide. A scary, thoughtful film, BUSH'S BRAIN paints a worrying picture of Bush Jr.'s presidency, positing the believable theory that all has not been as it seems behind the walls of the White House. [More]

Starring: George W. Bush, Karl Rove

Starring: George W. Bush, Karl Rove

Director: Joseph Mealey, Michael Paradies Shoob

Director: Joseph Mealey, Michael Paradies Shoob
Producer: Joseph Mealey, Michael Paradies Shoob

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Bush's Brain

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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No review available.

comment Comment
01/30/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Though fairly pedestrian by cinematic standards, Joseph Mealey's Bush's Brain is a workmanlike portrayal of the astonishing influence Karl Rove holds in Republican politics.

Full Review Source: Film and Felt | comment Comment
09/07/08
Gabe Leibowitz
Gabe Leibowitz
Film and Felt

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

A hard-hitting scary propaganda film about Karl Rove.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/02/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The accusatory tone becomes overbearing.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
10/29/04
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

An entertaining, if not entirely convincing story about Karl Rove, President Bush's campaign manager, and allegations of dirty tricks.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
10/24/04
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
10/06/04
Boston Phoenix

The movie has no smoking guns, but its circumstantial evidence is quite damning and it traces Rove's political hardball back to Texas state politics.

Full Review Source: Boston Herald | comment Comment
10/06/04
Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman
Boston Herald

The accusations are alarming and juicy enough to strike up a watchable combo of fear and gall.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
10/01/04
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe

Seu formato poderia ser mais elegante, mas sua mensagem é forte e inequívoca: a baixa campanha contra John Kerry não é um acaso, é um padrão para Karl Rove.

comment Comment
10/01/04
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Directors Joseph Mealey and Michael Paradies Shoob make a persuasive though not incontestable case that Rove directly sabotaged the 1986 Texas governor's race.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
09/24/04
Tom Keogh
Tom Keogh
Seattle Times

It's safe to say that outrage over Rove's behavior will depend on party affiliation, but even the most partisan should find extreme behaviors sickening.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
09/23/04
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Disorganized, overly reliant on reporter commentary and full of extraneous side trips.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
09/23/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

This unapologetically partisan documentary is designed to inflame Bush opponents, and it ought to succeed like a bucket of gasoline tossed on a bonfire.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
09/23/04
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Enlightening and frightening.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
09/17/04
Jonathan Curiel
Jonathan Curiel
San Francisco Chronicle

Littered with sloppy accusations and one-sided arguments, Bush's Brain, like so many political documentaries of late, is transparently manipulative.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
09/16/04
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune

They succeed in presenting a compelling series of dots, to use the current parlance, but they don't succeed in connecting them.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/10/04
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Downright chilling.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/10/04
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This no-frills documentary has a very specific theme: Karl Rove drives Bush. And He's willing to break rules and people in order to keep Bush in power.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card | comment Comment
09/08/04
Ross Anthony
Ross Anthony
Hollywood Report Card

Like Brothers in Arms, the shamelessly softball Kerry doc, Bush’s Brain smacks of opportunism, rescued at the last minute from direct-to-video fate.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
09/07/04
Annlee Ellingson
Annlee Ellingson
FilmStew.com
 
 
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