Charlie Wilson's War

This fascinating true story about a Texas legislator who finds himself behind one of the most successful covert wars in American history is witty and just humorous enough to suspend the thought of the gravity and repercussions of the ordeal. Wilson is a refreshingly honest and charismatic man, unapologetic for his many character flaws, which include alcoholism, womanizing and drug use. Despite these morally ambivalent traits, he finds a worthy cause and calls in favors and uses his baffling likability to align all of the necessary parties to make a lasting global difference, the result of which remains to be seen even today. His motivation of course, is the welfare of his constituents and a powerful woman who seems to be able to use her sex appeal to make Wilson do whatever she wants.

The characters seem sleazy and immoral on the surface, but Aaron Sorkin delivers a wonderful screenplay that masks the political heaviness with witty dialogue and great character portrayals. Hanks plays the part wonderfully, with just enough non-nonchalance to be believable. The summation of his debaucheries are shown through a lavish Vegas hot tub party with cocaine and strippers, an incident that follows him throughout the film, but one which he seems to care very little about. This side story has all of the earmarkings of modern day political scandal, with a very similar conclusion.

As he begins to find himself involved in the conflict between the former Soviet Union and Afghanistan, while coordinating allies Pakistan, Israel and Saudi Arabia, there is a visible sense of pride and accomplishment that is conveyed through Hanks' performance. Also visible is a sense of nostalgia or regret in the life that he has led. There is a stirring scene in which he calls Roberts drunk from his apartment late at night, and the tears stream down his face as they discuss their accomplishments. It is hard for the viewer not to forgive him for all of his miscalculated decisions as that one moment shows his true remorse and shame in the midst of doing something truly monumental.

Of the supporting cast, Hoffman brilliantly plays the CIA case worker who is displaced by his boss, so he decides to help Hanks out of boredom. It is the details in the performance that make it so authentic; The huge belly that conveys years of desk work in an unrewarding dark basement somewhere, the mustache and dark glasses that are so often intertwined with the world of cold war espionage, and the constant cup of coffee and cigarette that he's carrying around. He is a jaded, and misused resource of the government in the twilight of his career, and he finds a kinship with Wilson in their affinity for women and booze. The dialogue is executed with such subtle comedic timing, that his performance is deserving of an Oscar nomination at the very least.

Roberts on the other hand, shows little range as the wealthy Texas socialite with a peculiar interest in helping the Afghani cause. She is on screen for a total of maybe 12 minutes, and does little more than offer her trademark smirk and add some well-written lines to the conversation. Her performance was over-rated and she is not deserving of the accolades she is being bestowed (Golden Globes). Amy Adams on the other hand, plays Wilson's personal assistant with charm. You can sense disapproval of his lifestyle, but she is eager to please and lights up the room with her smile. The other assistants add another dimension to the film, consisting of four beautiful young women nicknamed "jailbait" by Wilson. They are the epitome of 1980's pre-workplace harassment and play the subservient administrative assistants in stereotypical fashion. It is another detail that makes the main character more likable or despicable.

Overall, I was impressed by the story more than anything else. It is fascinating to think that a nobody congressman can pull off such a large scale global effort with nothing more than the help of some of his "good old boy" contacts and some innovative thinking. What he accomplished changed the world forever, and it was terribly interesting to watch. Sorkin is the premier political screenwriter of this generation and his work should not go unnoticed. I enjoyed this film quite a bit. Great performances, particularly in the scenes between Hanks and Hoffman. The writing was top-notch and detail in direction and story were spot on. 8/10.