5 Question Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War

Q: Is this as entertaining and informative as the best-selling nonfiction book from which it's adapted?
A: Well, I haven't read the book yet, but after seeing the adaptation, I really want to. That sounds like a positive, but unfortunately, in this case I think there is something missing in the film. Watching it, I felt I was getting a good chunk of an amazing story but not quite all of it. "Charlie Wilson's War" is an entertaining piece of entertainment, but it's a little slight. I walked out of there thinking there had to be more. But at least I was intrigued enough to seek it out.

Q: So who IS Charlie Wilson, anyway, and what is his War?
A: Wilson was an influential congressman from Texas who led a crusade to funnel appropriations dollars to the the Afghan resistance after the Soviets invaded there. The guy was apparently a fascinating character, and a good deal of that comes across on screen. Tom Hanks is typically great in this role, providing enough natural charm to make the guy likable even with his boozing and carousing. I would have liked to have seen more insight into what made Wilson such a virulent anti-Commie, but while there are a few quiet, reflective scenes that spotlight Hanks, through most of the film he's breezing through, getting things done and playing angles. It's fun to watch, but, again, the screenplay is missing something. It's a shame because the combination of this outstanding real-life character with one of our best movie stars could have created something special.

Q: About that screenplay: Aaron Sorkin wrote it. So does this mean there are tons of florid political speeches delivered by people walking down hallways?
A: Sure, there's some of that, but it's not like you'll confuse it with "The West Wing." Sorkin and director Mike Nichols actually do a fine job of distilling a lot of info into visually interesting scenes. If you have people stripping or drinking in the background, go figure--the exposition goes down a lot easier. There are a lot of facts and figures here, but the film doesn't get weighed down with them.

As for the political point of view, well, I admired the movie for much of its length because I thought either side of the spectrum could watch it and have some of its own views confirmed. It's impossible not to think of what eventually happened in Afghanistan, with the resistance somewhat morphing into the Taliban that would eventually come back against us. That subtext is certainly there. But it's not till one heavy-handed scene near the end that "Charlie Wilson's War" makes a big Statement about our supposed foolishness. It's out of place, a leaden, obvious note in an otherwise clever screenplay.

Q: Well, sure, there's politics and war and foreign relations, but what about the big romance between Hanks and Julia Roberts? What's it like seeing those two together?
A: There IS no "big romance" there. In the story, Roberts' character comes off as an important but relatively minor presence. She needed to be either a bit bigger a character or a lesser one; as it is, she's kind of distracting. It's like they specifically boosted the role just because they had a Big Star to play it. So while there is a relationship there, and while much of the marketing emphasized Hanks and Roberts together, don't go see this expecting a romantic comedy.

Q: So it sounds like I should just skip this one, huh?
A: No, no, no. I am making a lot of negative comments, but though I was disappointed with the film, it is still fine entertainment that moves quickly and provides a lot of laughs. It has Philip Seymour Hoffman giving another compelling performance, providing fine comic support without overwhelming the "big stars." Near the end, when Wilson has apparently accomplished what he wants, the film becomes a bit of a blur of the facts and figures that had mostly been artfully integrated before, and it seems to run out of things to do. But it's a fun ride while it lasts. It doesn't satisfy completely, but it's a nice appetizer if you want to go to the book and get the whole story.