Charlie Wilson was a bachelor congressman from Texas who had a habit of showing up in hot tubs with strippers and cocaine. His Good Time Charlie exterior, however, masked an extraordinary mind, a deep sense of patriotism and a passion for the underdog, and in the early 1980s the underdog was Afghanistan--which had just been brutally invaded by the Russians. Charlie''s longtime friend and patron and sometime lover was Joanne Herring, one of the wealthiest women in Texas and a virulent anti-communist. Believing the American response to the Russian invasion was anemic at best, she prods Charlie into doing more for the Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters). Charlie''s partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos, a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of them--Charlie, Joanne and Gust--travel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, arms dealers, law makers and a belly dancer. Their success was remarkable. Funding for covert operations against the Soviets went from $5 million to $1 billion annually. The Red Army retreated out of Afghanistan. When asked how a group of peasants was able to deliver such a decisive blow to the army of a superpower, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq responded simply, Charlie did it.
The last time we saw Tom Hanks in front of the camera was for the 2006 release of The Da Vinci Code. Tom Hanks proves once again that he has an epic ability to pick incredible scripts. Charlie Wilson’s War isn’t just a good movie. It’s an incredible true story, it’s a fun comedy and it’s certainly a great drama.
The story was well told and the characters were exceptionally developed. I can’t imagine wishing more from any of the characters or actors in this film. Each and every one of them deserves their due, particularly Philip Seymour Hoffman. He has an innate ability to be the most memorable character in the room every time he is on camera and he does it with little to no lines of dialogue. He’s great character presence and line delivery is all he needs to steal a scene from most actors.
Tom Hanks is great as usual. He personified the Charismatic Charlie Wilson and his larger than life Texas persona to perfection. He has the walk, the accent and the attitude. Tom Hanks is just a great actor and it would appear he can play any role on earth.
Julia Roberts, who I often make fun of for having a career, simply for acting like Julia Roberts, was even in character. She played a passionate Christian who was devoting her time, money and incredible political connections, to the cause of the Afghan’s.
This is a must see film. The story is amazing. The acting is about as good as it gets and despite the political nature of the film they always find ways to pepper humor throughout the film.
