Oliver Stone defends George Bush biopic at London Film Festival

Hollywood director Oliver Stone was in London last night to promote his biopic of George W Bush, W., at the London Film Festival. Josh Brolin, who plays Bush (pictured with cast members Elizabeth Banks, Thandie Newton and Stone), were among the stars joining the director on the red carpet. Stone has received mixed reviews for his film, but he gave no credence to the critics who've claimed he had come to his subject with a liberal perspective.

Stone, 62, said: "We don't take a pop at him [Bush]. We take a compassionate view. I think the movie is right down the middle. Some people have criticised me the other way – that I didn't go far enough to criticise him. The truth is he speaks for himself. There is no malice intended in this movie.

"I think if you understand the way he thinks, if you walked in his shoes, you will come to some surprising understanding of about where we are – Americans are – and why we elect these people.”

Stone said he doubted Bush himself would ever see his movie. "He's established himself as a very thin-skinned man. I doubt he would have the tolerance to see himself and he doesn't examine himself very much. He doesn't like too much psychobabble." He then quoted Socrates' dictum that "the unexamined life is one that is not worth living".