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Charlie Wilson's War | 
 enlarge | Director: Mike Nichols
Actors: Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terry Bozeman
Studio: NBC Universal
Category: Movie
Buy New: $3.99
Rating:  120 reviews
Sales Rank: 38
Genre: Drama - Biographical
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 103 Minutes
ASIN: B001AQSVPE
Theatrical Release Date: December 21, 2007
Release Date: September 5, 2008 (New: This Week)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Synopsis:
Academy Award winners Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in this compelling and witty film from Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols and Primetime Emmy-winning writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing). Based on the outrageous true story, Charlie Wilson's War shows how one congressman who loved a good time, one Houston socialite who loved a good cause and one renegade CIA agent who loved a good fight conspired to bring about the largest covert operation in history. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Charlie did it! December 24, 2007
R. Kyle (USA)
40 out of 50 found this review helpful
It's amazing what a few committed believers can do. In 1979, Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a good timin' Texas Congressman finds Dan Rather doing a remote report in war-torn Afghanistan more interesting than a hot tub full of gorgeous naked women, drugs, and booze.
Next thing he knows, the sixth wealthiest woman in Texas and his sometime lover, Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) invites him to a fundraiser. She's a bit right of center for him, but he goes--for the sex as much as anything probably.
He comes away with a mission. Start a war. If the US can arm Afghani rebels, they can stop Soviet encroachment into the Middle East--which would probably have ended with the Russians owning most of the oilfields and us out in the cold--quite literally.
"Charlie Wilson's War" is based on the true story of Texas' 2nd District US Congressman who literally did initiate the clandestine help the US gave the Afghani rebels. He, with a little help from his friends, increased the budget for help for these efforts from 5M to 1B within a 7 year time frame enabling the Afghanis to be the first country to defeat Russia and effectively end the "Cold War."
"Charlie Wilson's War" is by far the best film I've seen this Christmas season and I would not be surprised if it didn't win Oscars for picture of the year. Tom Hanks does an amazing job as the flawed man, who was a true patriot and humanitarian. Ms. Roberts does the over-the-top Texas heiress just right. Also, no surprise that Philip Seymour Hoffman blew us away as the rogue CIA agent, Gust Avrakolos.
The soundtrack, by Toto alumnus James Newton Howard, was the perfect accompaniment to the visuals. Mr. Howard has a way of picking just the right song to illustrate a time, emotion, or place. That CD is on my Wish List now.
The movie took you on the gamut of emotions from amusement, to horror, to suspense. How they managed to so succinctly cover almost a decade worth of machinations in an hour and a half still amazes me.
I wasn't the only person amazed. It seems several couples who'd come out of the film decided to eat at the same restaurant and the talk about "Charlie Wilson's War" was appreciative all around.
I'm definitely buying this DVD when it becomes available and possibly will see the movie one more time before it leaves the big screen. This one is definitely worth a second watch.
Charlie aids our holiday season December 23, 2007
Robin Orlowski (United States)
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
I'm generally a sucker for political-themed films, and this one is no exception. It's a quasi-autobiographical story about how Representative Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) successfully toppled communism by secretly funding aid to Afghanistan.
Now because communism is a bygone relic, much like 8 tracks and rotary phones, the filmmakers had a critical task laid before them.
How were they going to make this film interesting to a majority of holiday audiences? I had personally liked Lions for Lambs, but other people must have felt that it was too serious because it lacked a strong box office showing.
So, while keeping inferences to current-day events (and ethical questions) the production team behind this film settled on a formula of emphasizing what would work. They decided to dramatize the true story of a bible belt congressman who did everything and anything which some of his constituents still might be surprised to learn about.
And it certainly didn't hurt the screenplay's laugh quotient that they 'just' happened to pick a politician who certainly was not politically correct. Staffing his offices with 'beauty queen' types whose clerical skills were questionable, the guy certainly was never like any of the people I've ever worked for and with. Still, his heart was in the right place.
Julia Roberts also gives a commanding performance as Joanne Herring,a rich anti-communist right-winger loving to throw parties--as much as Charlie loves attending them. Like Charlie, Joanne is an expert politician, those oft-promoted morals get thrown out the window when Charlie needs a bed partner; she doesn't need to be forced. This character is based on a real life person of the same name from Houston Texas, although I am not sure how much was fact and how much was the fiction of Hollywood. Whether it was intentional or not, it did make me think about what many off-screen new right women really go through in order to obtain their public access.
War is a serious subject, but with so much of it permeating the media and the economy not being where it ideally should be, this film declares 'war' on the holiday slump.
Some Heavy Artillery Here December 22, 2007
H. F. Corbin (ATLANTA, GA USA)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
In theatres just in time for the Christmas season and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations "Charlie Wilson's War" is armed with some heavy artillery with Oscar winners all over the place including director Mike Nichols and actors Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The screenplay is by Aaron Sorkin of " The West Wing" fame that is based on the book by George Crile about Democratic Congressman Charlie Wilson's covert efforts in the 1980's to aid the Afghan mujahaideen's fight against the Russians. Wilson was successful in getting Congressional subcommittees to increase funding for the war from five million dollars to one billion before the Russians were run out of Afghanistan.
The acting here is first class. Hanks plays the happy-go-lucky Charlie Wilson who likes strippers and parties but is a patriot at heart. With his braces and cowboy boots, but more importantly, his sensitive eyes and facial expressions he becomes the character he portrays and is totally believable, even if you know nothing about Wilson himself, who was a consultant on the movie and recently underwent a successful heart transplant. Roberts with a lot of blonde hair is Joanne Herring, a Texas socialite, who hates communists and sometimes sleeps with Wilson. Being a proper Georgia girl and not wanting to bring her daddy to public shame she dons a bikini for this film but she's not about to do a nude scene. Hanks picks up the slack, however, as he appears in the altogether with strippers early on in the film. Philip Seymour Hoffman as a CIA agent is over the top. It is obvious that he can do anything since this role is a far cry from his Oscar winning role recently as the wincing Truman Capote.
While the actors play this movie for laughs-- and there are plenty of them-- underneath the parties and bubble and hilarity, this film is as serious as stretch marks and scarier than watching the evening news. Wilson's whole endeavor, however, never made the news and raises the question that haunts many of us: what similar events may be being carried out by a few members of those who govern us and how long will it take to be uncovered, if ever?
This movie is not to be missed.
Big Personalities, Humor, Capitol Hill Politics, and Cold War Bravado. May 2, 2008
mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA)
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
"Charlie Wilson's War" is based on George Crile's 2003 book of the same name which tells the story of irreverent Texan Congressman Charlie Wilson's campaign to equip the mujaheddin rebels who were fighting the Soviet army in Afghanistan in the 1980s. After seeing television coverage of the ill-equipped, underfunded, but determined mujaheddin, Rep. Wilson (Tom Hanks) doubled the paltry $5 million US aid to the rebels. This caught the attention of Texas socialite and anti-communist crusader Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), who used her considerable clout to persuade Wilson to take up the cause. With the help of CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a frustrated 24-year-veteran of the Cold War, Wilson was able to supply anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to the mujaheddin and increase US aid to as astonishing $500 million per year.
This might be a dry tale if the characters weren't so colorful. Charlie Wilson becomes concerned with the plight of the mujaheddin while soaking in a hot tub in Las Vegas with a couple of strippers and a Playboy model. He is under investigation for narcotics use by none other than Rudolph Giuliani while trying to organize aid to Afghan rebels. The man liked to sow his wild oats. Gust Avrakotos is an odd combination of idealist and cynic who introduced himself by bugging Wilson's Scotch bottle. Joanne Herring is an ultra-right-wing fashion plate, who uses her charm and wealth to get her way -even with the liberal Democratic Congressman. Together, these three people changed US policy in Afghanistan and armed the guerilla's who dealt the Soviet Army its first defeat, delivering an economic blow that facilitated the USSR's collapse.
Wilson, Avrakotos, and Herring are a lot of fun to watch, because they never attempt to conceal what they are. Like them or not, these are strong, direct personalities. Charlie Wilson is a genuine, fun-loving guy, not the least bit worried about his image, who makes this story as funny as it is remarkable. Joanne Herring is the first good role Julia Roberts has had since her younger, smiley romantic comedy days. I question the film's implication that the US did not have a coherent policy in Afghanistan before Charlie Wilson came along, however. The "bleed" policy was carefully conceived, and someone must have explained it to Wilson and Herring at some point, even if Wilson's approach turned out to be better. Director Mike Nichols delivers a very entertaining, mainstream film that is nonetheless provocative and revealing of the machinations on Capitol Hill.
The DVD (Universal 2008): "The Making of Charlie Wilson's War" (17 min) interviews director Mike Nichols, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and the cast about the script and about the real Charlie Wilson, who is also interviewed, along with Joanne Herring. "Who Is Charlie Wilson?" (12 min) interviews Mike Nichols, Tom Hanks, and others about Charlie Wilson. Charlie Wilson talks about his position in Congress, how he became involved in getting arms to the mujaheddin, and his view of them. Some archive footage from the 1980s is included. Subtitles are available for the film in English SDH, Spanish, French. Dubbing is available in Spanish, French.
A wickedly funny, thought-provoking film April 30, 2008
DanD
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Charlie Wilson wasn't the best guy around. He did drugs, he slept with strippers and prostitutes, and he had a lot of shady deals going on under the table. But damn if he didn't get something right. He saw a need to arm the Afghanistan rebels against the Soviet Union, and in so doing, allowed for Afghanistan to become the first nation to successfully rebel against the Soviet Union.
I wasn't much familiar with the story until I watched the movie--one of those "greatest stories never told" things, I reckon. But I'm glad I watched the movie, and am going to go out and read the book, and read up on what happened. Tom Hanks is engaging, as he tends to be (in fact, he's often SO engaging that I'm not a fan; he's won me over with a few roles in the past, however, and this is one of them). Julia Roberts sizzles; again, I've never been a huge fan (I can think of a LOT of things I'd rather do than sit through "My Best Friend's Wedding" one more time) but she captivated me here.
The standout role here, however, is definitely that of Philip Seymour Hoffman. He's rapidly becoming one of my favorite actors in Hollywood. His comedic timing is near-perfect (Tom Hanks, to his credit, matches him step for step; even Roberts gets in a nice jab or two). I'm not sure why he didn't win Best Supporting Actor for this (well, yes I am: it's hard to beat Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh, but that's another movie and another review). Still...watch and learn, folks. This guy is a master-in-the-making.
The writing is crisp, the direction almost flawless. There are a few points at which the film lags, but overall, it's a crisp, wicked good time. There aren't much bonus features, though the two documentaries (a "making-of," as well as a piece on Charlie Wilson) are interesting. But you should buy the movie for the sake of watching the movie; bonus features are "bonus" anyways, remember? It's the movie that counts. And "Charlie Wilson's War" counts for quite a lot. Perhaps it's not a classic...but it's damn good just the same.
The main moral of this story, if we can call it that, is that good guys don't always wear white hats. A cliche, but shoot me. The most interesting--and, get this, REAL--protagonists are the ones who are flawed, who don't always follow the yellow brick road, but can still stand up for what they believe is just and fair. We can't all be saints...but sometimes, as Charlie Wilson (and his "War") shows us, we can at least act like we are.
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