JOHN SAYLES - SAYLES INSPIRED BY BUSH

Screenwriter JOHN SAYLES has used US President GEORGE W BUSH as an unlikely muse for his latest movie SILVER CITY.

The 54-year-old film-maker based the main character, bumbling politician DICKIE PILAGER, on the American leader, and spent considerable time analysing Bush's body language and thought processes for the sake of his movie.

Sayles says, "When he's off the script - which is less and less these days - he gets halfway into a thought and realises he may be saying the wrong thing, so he tries to change it but he forgets where he started.

"He either doesn't have the facts or has a hard time getting out what he wants to say, so what you get is attitude: that slightly smug, slightly belligerent thing he's comfortable with going into attack mode whenever he feels he's being cornered."