Charlie Wilson's War (Widescreen)

This is a good look at how one person can make a difference, when that person is armed with the Truth and Facts. "Charley Wilson's War" is an enjoyable movie full of Academy Award winning actors (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman)I hope they do a movie about the 2008 Presidential Primary race and how Senator Hillary Clinton earned more votes than any other Presidential Primary candidate in history- Maybe base the movie on the work of Peniel Cronin, Primary versus Caucus.

This movie is very well done with a strong cast. It's an up close look at a little known piece of history that still has significance for current affairs. The script uses humor to help us get through a serious set of events. The whole situation is thought-provoking both as to the methods used to achieve results and the cultures of the players in all the countries involved, including the US.

This movie will appeal more to the "West Wing" fans than the "24" fans... the only war scenes in the film are news reel shorts in between Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman's maneuverings in the halls of Congress and the CIA. This movie gives a great portrayal of war as seen from the perspective of the power brokers inside the beltway. If you are into the political drama and eccentric, funny characters, you will love it.

I'm appreciating any film that casts light on the current hotspots in the world. This is a very compelling story about this hapless politician, and Tom Hanks played this part very well. His comic background aids in his ability to appeal and be likeable (I can't believe he could play an truly unpleasant part unpleasantly--and I am not aiming to damn by faint praise here). Philip Seymour Hoffman's entrance was unsurpassing...His chemistry with other characters worked. Julia Roberts' performance was a trifle stilted, I found. She delivered some lines well, but didn't quite fade into this character. While the film has funny parts, it does not deliver a funny story. The challenges in Afghanistan are so very many.

I'm simply going to give my impression of the movie. Real history is always messier and more complicated. Movies can not depict real history in only a couple of hours. Movies are for entertainment.

Movies that are smart and witty are rare, but this is definetly one of them. Be prepared though, the dialog is fast and furious -- you will likely need to watch it twice in order to catch it all.

Without giving any spoilers:

Charlie Wilson is a whiskey drinking, womanizing, congressman from Texas whose greatest achievements during his six term tenure are being re-elected five times. His constituents from Texas don't ask for much, which allows him to be a "Yes" voter on almost any bill put before congress. This, in turn, gives him a pocket full of IOU's. While chasing tail, he is given a mission and decides to cash in on all of his IOU's. He has no idea that he is about to influence the course of history.

Gust Avrakotos is a disgruntled old school CIA operative, who is upset that he isn't given the job of being the head director in Finland after spending three years learning Finnish. His supervisor explains that he lacks diplomatic finesse. With little on his plate on the first floor at Langley, he comes across a couple guys upstairs that are doing something more interesting -- "killing Russians".

Charlie Wilson and Gust Avrakotos cross paths, form a friendship, and begin what will eventually become the largest (and most expensive) covert operation in American history.

"Gust Avrakotos is no James Bond, but then again, Charlie Wilson is no Thomas Jefferson."

The two characters have many human flaws, but are likeable. In fact, I found that Gust Avrakotos's character eclipses Charlie Wilson's character in some aspects.

One of my favorite scenes is when Gust Avrakotos gets into an argument with his supervisor. Gust is first introduced during this scene and you can't help but to immediately like the guy, if not even cheer him on. Perhaps this may be because his argumentative style is something all of us have wanted to do with our supervisors at one time or another. Another good scene involves Charlie, Gust, and a bottle of scotch. It is during this scene that the two begin to form a modest admiration of one another.

There were only a few drawbacks that I personally had for the film. One was the southern accent that Tom Hank's attempted. It made quite a bit of his dialog difficult for me to catch the first time around. Another, although much less, drawback that I personally found was that I thought some of the Hollywood'd "war scenes" (embedded inbetween actual war footage) appeared a little on the cheesy side. I think it was the lighting that made it looked a little cheesy.

Overall, I definetly enjoyed the movie though. I enjoyed it even more the second time around as I caught all of the dialog.

As for why America always plays the same "end game"?
"Tradition, mostly."