Switch CategoriesSwitchPlanetSwitchbuc CalculatorFAQsCurrently not available
December 21, 2007
December 21, 2007
Universal Studios
R (Restricted)
Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian Markinson, Shiri Appleby
"Much better than I thought it would be and even better than most of its reviews. If you wonder how the U.S. got involved in Afghanistan and/or Iraq - here's your answer. Just be certain to remember the last line - "and then we threw it all away"."
- llbrub, gave it a 5/5
Political movies about backroom negotiations need not be dry or heavy-handed, as Charlie Wilson's War delightfully proves. Based on the true story of playboy congressman Wilson's efforts to fund Afghanistan's defense against the Soviet invasion of the 1980s, the film is borne along on breezy attitude and a peppery script by West Wing scribe Aaron Sorkin. Wilson, played by Tom Hanks (who also produced), is the perfect hero for this kind of tale, because there's nothing perfect or heroic about him: He's a highball-swilling, fanny-pinching gadabout who becomes radicalized on the issue of helping the Afghans against their mighty aggressor. He has help in the form of a right-wing Texas anti-Communist (Julia Roberts) with a genius for raising money, and a sardonic CIA operative (Philip Seymour Hoffman, stealing the show) who lacks all the social skills Wilson has in abundance. Sorkin's syncopated speech is just the ticket for director Mike Nichols, who understands exactly how to keep this kind of political comedy popping (the complicated story comes in at a hair over 90 minutes, amazingly). Some scoundrels are on the right side of the angels, and the movie's Charlie Wilson is one of them. --Robert Horton
Beyond Charlie Wilson's War on DVD
 More Tom Hanks |  Films by Mike Nichols |  More Julia Roberts |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
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. - Description
