Charlie Wilson's War - 2007

Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Participant Productions

Directed by Mike Nichols

Cast:

• Charlie Wilson – Tom Hanks
• Joanne Herring – Julia Roberts
• Gus Avrakotos – Phillip Seymour Hoffman
• Bonnie Bach – Amy Adams
• President Zia – Om Puri
• Doc Long – Ned Beatty
• Mike Vickers – Christoper Denham

Story: Ever hear the saying “One man can't make a difference”? Well, apparently they had never met Charlie Wilson. Here's a congressman from a little district in the great state of Texas who apparently has nothing better to do than drink, get laid, and do a lot of favors for other congressmen. Until one of his constituents (the sixth richest woman in Texas), brings him to her house to watch a film on the situation in Afghanistan. After a brief tumble in the bedroom of her mansion, she lets Charlie know she wants him to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan by manipulating the foreign policy and armed services committees of the Congress. Since he sits on both committees and she is one of his major contributors, he sets out to see what he can do. He begins with a visit to the President of Pakistan, who encourages him to visit the refugee camp in the Peshwar province on the border of Afghanistan. When Charlie sees for himself the desperation and squalor the refugees are living in, he returns to the United States with a personal mission to assist these people in any way he can. Enter his meeting with Gust Avrakotos, a CIA operative in charge the Afghan desk at the CIA. Together they build a covert alliance between Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia to funnel Soviet made weapons to the Afghans. Charlie enlists the help of other congressmen, notably Doc Long, to increase the assistance budget for covert operations from five million to half a billion dollars. Based on the true story of how the Soviets were defeated in Afghanistan.

Review: While not a big fan of “docudramas”, I have to take my hat off to the entire cast and crew for this outstanding film. Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are spectacular in their parts, with just enough witty banter between the two to keep your interest when the film is processing through the necessary political moments. Julia Roberts is her usual beautiful and driven self, the kind of woman who may sleep with you, as long as its on her terms. Amy Adams is wonderful as the senior administrative assistant, a woman with an incredible body and the brains to match. And hats off to Om Puri, Ned Beatty, and Christopher Denham for their contributions as the President of Pakistan, the Majority whip in the Congress, and the CIA wiz kid. The dialogue is interesting and never dull, the photography is perfect, and plot, well, the plot really happened. Nudity and drug use, and disturbing images of children crippled by Soviet anti-personnel devices, as well as detailed stories of war crimes are enough to tell you the little ones shouldn't be around to watch this.