http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/betweentheframes/2008/03/14/entry-1




It has been generalized, though not confirmed, that when a film makes
an attempt to deal with serious subject matters in a comic, even at
times satirical manner, there is a great possibility that same theme
will be undermined, but Aaron Sorkin is apparently the exception here
as he makes politics fun again in Mike Nichols' "Charlie Wilson's
War," a film based on the incredible, political biography by the late
"60 Minutes" journalist George Crile. This film is a different kind of
narrative social commentary because it furnishes and provides some of
the all-important backdrop for what has emitted since 9/11, and
reminds us of the bewildered continuous extent surrounding the world's
upheaval.

"Charlie Wilson's War" is the extraordinary story of a very little
known Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a boozer who
exhibits no remorse, and lady's man, who pulled off one of the
greatest coups of the Cold War. He is also smart, popular and
remarkably proficient at foreign affairs. Incited by his God-fearing,
anti-communist Houston debutante Joanne Harring (Julia Roberts) whom
he had bedded in the past, and a tour through the refugee camps,
Wilson is encouraged to join a covert CIA operation to supply the
Afghani troops with the decent weaponry to ward off the invaders.
Partnered with a hilariously amusing CIA operative named Gust
Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Wilson devises a highly
unconventional plan to bring together Egyptian, Arabic and Israeli
players while, at a rapid rate, multiplying Defense appropriations
from $5 million to $1 billion to help Afghans shoot down the Russian
helicopters that have ravaged their country. With Wilson's drug
scandal coming into view in indistinct, Avrakotos figures that the
press will be too concerned to notice that Wilson is collecting around
every source possible to concentrate money and weapons on the
resistance. The covert war lubed by American money and weaponry in
Afghanistan, and the subsequent abandonment of their social welfare
while the Taliban geared up its oppressive machinery, is the unstated
subplot of the narrative structure.



The film does not aim to portray American politicians, soldiers, or
policy as senselessly stupid, insanely irresponsible, or unrelentingly
merciless. Nor does it make them look faultless. This film's theme of
not just winning the war, but winning the peace comes through strongly
at the end of the movie as the closing title card is rather poignant,
"Those things happened and they were glorious, and then we fucked up
the end of the game," since it comes right after a line that reminds
viewers that once a ball is set in motion, it continues to bounce even
if we've lost interest in it. Though there's no epilogue, thematic
link to the present, or even a single mention of Bin Laden and the
chilling note that Wilson's very patriotic act of the 1980s also
helped equipped what would become the most vicious enemy in US's
history, the Al Qaeda organization, the film makes clear, the main
problem with US effort in Afghanistan in the 80's, was that they
didn't follow through and help stabilize and rebuild the country, so
radical elements were able to come in and take over. Nichols and
Sorkin trade sprightly and vivacious repartee and political irony for
context and allegory as the film ends up acknowledging the very fact
the same righteous patriotism that saved all those Afghan children
from the Soviets also turned them into anti-American Taliban.



Sporting another smug grin and another verbally assailed Southern
accent, Hanks plays a very flawed titular congressman from "The Great
State of Texas." Between his apparently never-ending cycle of
skirt-chasing and coke parties, catches wind of the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan, his goals in life are: get reelected, have as much sex
with as many women as possible, drink alcohol at every occasion and at
any time of day, snort cocaine and help run the country. In this role
about a whiskey-'n'-women loving old boy congressman, he is
masterfully understated and charming here as Wilson who is not a naïve
man, not even when the story begins, and is highly aware of his faults
and shortcomings. Yet he is the man who orchestrates the effortful
push, and recognizes his skills and talents in getting things done,
which he accomplishes with easy charm and lots of talk.



Roberts acquits herself quite ably as a communist-hating activist,
Herring who wants the United States to covertly fund and arm local
freedom fighters, namely the Mujahadeen. Her views for getting
involved in the Afghani fight are both for humanitarian purposes and
to defeat the communists in their bid to dominate the Middle East, and
therefore must be the right reasons to go to war, but this may reflect
the so-called justifications offered by President Bush for going into
Iraq, in addition to preventing Saddam from acquiring weapons of mass
destruction.



As a brilliant and multifaceted actor, Hoffman, once again handily
shines and steals every shot and every scene he's in, and proves that
no matter which character he's playing alongside, the scene becomes a
comedic soft-shoe of clever banter and political incisiveness. At
first the he and Wilson are like oil and water, but once Gust realizes
that the goofy, playboy congressman really wants to help, a strange
friendship is born that ends up being very powerful with fantastic
results. Once Hoffman and Hanks become an unlikely team for their
game, there is much exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks, and a
common cause in their covert war-making machinery. In one scene,
Charlie tells Gust, "You ain't no James Bond," to which Hoffman
replies, "You ain't no Thomas Jefferson. Let's call it even." In one
of the most quiet yet most powerful scenes of the film, Gust and
Charlie have a quiet moment to themselves whereas behind them, other
people are celebrating the Russian retreat. As a Sorkin-lover, I'm
reminded of his use of allegorical representations from "The West
Wing" as here, Gust, extending in Leo's character on the drama series'
direction, finally completes the one he tried to tell Charlie once,
before it all began.



When it comes to "politics of war" movie, you'll recognize "Charlie
Wilson's War" as by far least preachy, yet the most captivating film
of that kind in some time because this film has first-rate everything,
and like most pieces written by Sorkin, this film is clever, witty,
hilarious and politically astute. He has a gift for turning politics
into testy entertainment without throwing viewers into despondency
about the state of the world. With laugh-out-loud moments and tearful
ones, the dialogue thrusts quickly with wit and humor as these
real-life characters slip and slide through congressional offices,
political meeting rooms, covert planning sessions and belly dancing
nightclubs. The acting is powerful, and the sets, music and special
effects are great. End result is a fresh, sophisticated satire on an
inflammatory topic that stands out in the current landscapes of
American war flicks, none of which particularly good artistically
successful. Instead, akin to the delicious audacity of movies like
"Wag the Dog", you will be swept into the political satire spin of the
film.

In less skillful hands than those of Sorkin and Nichols, this could
have become just another tale of America-saves-the-day or one of those
tiresomely preachy War-Is-Bad flicks. "Charlie Wilson's War" is
neither, in spite of the dozens of chances freely handed to it, and is
a testament to both their skills. Nichols and Sorkin bring their
wisdom, remarkable incisiveness, and keen ability to crack wise in
this odd yet most potent paste-up job of a socio-political satire. To
their benefit, they make otherwise complicated procedures seem quite
clear, and in a small amount of screen time, which serves the
cinematic experience way more than trying to be profound by force.

"Charlie Wilson's War" is very well-paced and extremely well-acted
while the comedy is subtle and merits from its great timing with a
charming recount of a not-so-charming period in American foreign
affairs and when seen in cinematic terms, you will see that it takes
on an interesting dimension, to see "Charlie Wilson's War" through the
prism of America's very own modern-day war in Iraq, implying that
whatever dubious good America can accomplish while they're there, it's
how the country came in and how they'll leave that will have the
greatest impact on history. The film has all the ingredients of a
smart, poignant, and amusing political satire about American politics
and Afghanistan: a shrewd text by savvy writer Sorkin, a trio of
excellent and colorful characters, played by an all-name cast, Hanks,
Roberts, and Hoffman, a timely subject that has not been dealt with by
Hollywood in a comic-ironic mode, and a sophisticated New York
director who admires language, character, and actors, as evident in
his four-decade career, from "The Graduate" and "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Wolf?", "Angels in America" all to the way to "Closer", and
mature audiences that embraced Nichols' previous films, should enjoy
"Charlie Wilson's War,".