Movie Review

Charlie Wilson's War

"Charlie Wilson's War" is an interesting flick that gives us an access pass into the inner workings of one of the most covert operations in U.S history, and then tells us how we, in Wilson's words, "fucked it all up." Wilson was a Texas congressman who spent more time bedding strippers than establishing any sort of strong political legacy. That is until he saw a report on television about the Soviet communists trying to take over Afghanistan. In the coming months, the conflict will become the gold star of his political career. Upon the urging of a wealthy Texas socialite (Julia Roberts), and the very fact that the only steps the United States is taking to end this conflict is to give the Afghani people muskets to fight against Soviet helicopter gun ships, Wilson takes up the cause of getting more help to Afghanistan. He is helped even more so by CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), who's tried to bring stability to Afghanistan for some time and who now finally has someone to back him.

It should come as no surprise that the ending is unfortunate, a sad realization that those in power decided to turn their backs on people who were left with nothing. It gives us a powerful, poignant, and thought-provoking perspective on the current situation, and reminds us that the decisions we make now may come back to haunt in the future. In addition to the message of the film, there is also a lot of really compelling stuff here. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("The West Wing") doesn't always make it easy to follow, but the script is loaded with interesting topics such as how Charlie managed to fund the Afghan fighters, the side God takes on the battle field, and Charlie's philandering getting him in hot water with the media and Mr. Rudy Guiliani. The movie, directed by Mike Nichols, manages to handle all these topics with dramatic fact and a surprising amount of comedy. There are a few really good one-liners but mostly I enjoyed watching this character pull strings, many of the scenes in which he does are absolutely hilarious. It works well with the more dramatic moments as well, such as a heartbreaking scene where Wilson visits a refugee camp.

The acting is great across the board. Hanks comes through as a charming, smart, and smooth-talking Texan who knows how to play the angles in order to get what he wants. Julia Roberts looks really, really good here and is at her best when verbally sparring with both Hanks and Hoffman. And Hoffman is just hilarious, playing a man who's not afraid to show his anger and frustration in the most demonstrative way possible. Amy Adams ("Enchanted") and Ned Beatty ("Shooter") are also in the film and add some bright spots where they can. "Charlie Wilson's War" is a really rich showcase for all of them, and a really good history lesson as well.

Craig's Grade: B+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%