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.
Bush's Brain (2004)
Tomatometer
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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.
Theatrical Release:Aug 27, 2004 Limited
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
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Reviews for Bush's Brain
If this is all Rove’s enemies could muster, he’s got nothing to fear.
Littered with sloppy accusations and one-sided arguments, Bush's Brain, like so many political documentaries of late, is transparently manipulative.
This film should truly frighten partisans on both sides of the aisle.
This unapologetically partisan documentary is designed to inflame Bush opponents, and it ought to succeed like a bucket of gasoline tossed on a bonfire.
It succeeds in generating discussion, but leaves you with a distasteful feeling. If you ignore the content and look merely at the quality of the film, it's lacking in focus.
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.
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.
The film poses an interesting question ... but few of the Texas witnesses to Rove's reign and Beltway insiders interviewed here offer much of an answer.
Another week, another film to add to an already sizeable pile of anti-Bush polemics.
Politics as usual, until that devastating conclusion with the dead Marine's family.
Pushing creepiness into horror -- and giving the movie its sting -- are the recollections and insights of folks who've tracked the handiwork of Rove, this summer's scariest movie monster, for more than 30 years.
It's a competent examination of an important subject, but in a year that has been filled with stunning political documentaries with high production values, it suffers from an overreliance on talking heads.
Disorganized, overly reliant on reporter commentary and full of extraneous side trips.
Some believe that the evil genius behind our unelected maximum leader is Dick Cheney. The filmmakers argue that it's 'co-president' Rove (installed, we learn, in Hillary Clinton's old office).
This politically damning profile chronicles the rise to power of Karl Rove, the brilliant, nerdy chief aide to President Bush.
Mealey and Shoob's film is a little too 'Inside Baseball' as it takes a deep dive into arcane Texas politics as discussed by a series of talking heads. Yet what they say -- and much of it is hard to refute -- is devastating stuff.
They succeed in presenting a compelling series of dots, to use the current parlance, but they don't succeed in connecting them.
Directors Joseph Mealey and Michael Paradies Shoob make a persuasive though not incontestable case that Rove directly sabotaged the 1986 Texas governor's race.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
| 57% 57% | 9 |
| 44% 44% | Jennifer's Body |
| 58% 58% | A Perfect Getaway |
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