Charlie Wilson's War (Widescreen)

I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. Hoffmann is arguably one of the best actors around at the moment, while the prospect of seeing Hanks and Roberts share some screen time, with Sorkin's writing thrown into the mix and Nichol's direction made the wait to see the movie worthwhile.

And then i saw the film!! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I generally find political movies quite boring. But having avidly watched The West Wing for years and thoroughly enjoying Mike Nichols previous political film 'Primary Colors', i was expecting great, witty things from this duo.

Whilst there a couple of parts in the film i enjoyed, overall, i found myself looking at my watch wishing the film to finish.

Overall, very disapointing and i would only recommend this to people who were having trouble sleeping. This is the perfect tonic.

Oh, and a memo to Mr Hanks himself: Please keep your pants on in future yeah?

I really enjoyed this movie; Tom Hanks and Julia did a super job as usual. A peek at how politics really work.

So what do you know - it's possible to make a cheerful movie about the war...
Actually, the reason this movie feels so light and cheerful is that it is really about Charlie Wilson the man rather than the war. The movie tells the (based on true) story of the Texas Congressman who played a pivotal role in getting substantial funding to the Mujahedin in Afghanistan, eventually leading to the forced withdrawal of the Russians, thereby paving the way for the downfall of the Soviet Empire - as told by this movie at least. The interesting part is that Charlie Wilson was a womanizing party animal who was the last person many would have thought would tackle this issue.
The cast fit the bill perfectly - Tom Hanks surprises as the drinking Congressman, sharing a hot tub with strippers doing coke.. but retains the naivete that seems to have allowed him to say `why not' when faced with the question of increasing funds to Afghan freedom fighters. The woman asking the questions is a rich, headstrong Texan woman played by Julia Roberts, and the man in the CIA actually getting the job done and providing the technical explanations, is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
It's shot well, in bright colours and plenty of lighting so we never have a dark moment, and acting is perfectly fine throughout. There is even just a touch of acknowledgement at the end that things were not so straightforward, and a warning that with the Russians gone, and without funding rebuilding infrastructure and schools, the `crazies' would inevitably take the leading role. As of course they did.
On the downside, this is really a very superficial look at the issues, and a rather one-sided look at events in history. On the plus side, it's a fun and entertaining introduction to the man and the history, that at 1hr 38 min never outlasts its welcome.

I try not to get caught up in the historical accuracy of films like this but if the film were overly critical or not critical enough you wouldn't hear such a wide range of opinions on the story's portrayal of these real life characters. Simply put, some of Reagan's guys thought this was dishonest, some thought it was just right. This is a good movie and given not so much the historical accuracy, but the historical context of its consequences, it was worth telling. Did Charlie Wilson unwittingly arm the Taliban? Is he still a hero for it? Nevertheless, as compelling as the film is in terms of the subject's modern consequences, its ultimate goal may not have been political at all, but to simply provide a look into some of the politics of the time and to showcase several outstanding performances. Hollywood veteran Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Silkwood) directs and Tom Hanks stars in and produces the film. Aaron Sorkin adapts the George Crile book effectively and you would think Sorkin's politics would be easier to detect, but I found the film to be relatively non-partisan.

For those who don't already know, Charlie Wilson was a Democratic Texas Congressman, who worked with a rogue-ish CIA agent to help fund the Mujahideen resistance in order to undermine the Soviet Union in their war with Afghanistan. This was dubbed Operation Cyclone and eventually lead to the Soviet Union's withdrawal from an Afghanistan and its government that would succumb to the resistence several years later. The film follows Charlie Wilson closely as he makes decisions that lead to these significant events. The conclusion seems to be highlighted by Wilson's apparent regrets in not being able to successfully raise support for the post-Soviet chaos of civil war that would follow. So in some ways we're the bad guys by not doing anything other than help blow things up I guess. Well, there are your shades of modern political parallels I suppose.

All of that aside, the thing that makes Charlie Wilson's War a very good film are its performances. Not just of Phillip Seymour Hoffman who was nominated for an Oscar in his supporting role, but also for Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Amy Adams and others are also very strong but it's the interactions between Hanks's Wilson, Hoffman's CIA agent Gust, and Roberts's Joanne Herring that make the film work. Their performances coupled with Sorkin's fantastic screenplay make the film as surprisingly humorous as the subject is interesting. Nichols has been at the controls for too many good films not to get the credit he deserves as well. I enjoyed every scene of this film for reasons I really didn't expect going in. Well-adapted real-life characters and actors who take their delivery very seriously.

Charlie Wilson's War is one of the most thought-provoking movies I've seen in a while. As I keep up with today's news and anticipate a consulting assignment in Afghanistan, I am struck by the power of Charlie's final warning. As a nation that has been blessed with power and wealth, we often feel obligated to intervene throughout the world and, often that intervention is expected of us. However, once the U.S. steps into another country and another culture with military operations, we trigger another responsibility: to leave it a better and stronger place in every way possible. Charlie warns us, in his own inimitable fashion, that failure to meet that responsibility will come back to bite us a thousand times over, or, perhaps three thousand plus times over. It's a difficult movie to watch. The raw ugliness we face in those we elect to steer us politically is a little like looking into that magnifying mirror and seeing every blackhead, crow's foot and unwanted hair in all its glory. It's not fun, but I dare you to not have a deep and meaningful dialog with yourself and, possibly others, afterward about what it means to be American in today's world; about how long you can allow yourself to wear blinders after you face truth supported by history. And try to get that image of Julia Roberts coming at her eye with a giant safety pin out of your mind. What a metaphor!