Charlie Wilson's War

Embarrassingly I don't know a whole lot about Russian involvement in Afghanistan in the 1980s. More embarrassing still I could tell you major plot points of Rambo III better than I could tell you about the history of Afghanistan during the cold war. Actually when I think about it, in a weird way Rambo III was meant as a social statement. I never thought I'd write that. Still if you have to choose between the fictional and ludicrous Rambo III and the based on a true story Charlie Wilson's War, I think the latter is the smart move.

Charlie Wilson's War tells the story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a man known for liking to have fun, and how he helped fund a secret war in Afghanistan by supplying money and weapons to the mujahideen. He is joined in this task by Texas socialite and activist Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) and CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The film balances between the wild life that Wilson led and the slow awakening to fight for a cause.

Despite the ever present but never oppressive message that this film sends about the significance of this part of history on everything from the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, the story doesn't focus too much on it and we are better for it. It has just enough touchstones and hints of the future to remind you what happened in the ten years after the Soviet Union fell. But the heavy ramifications which may resound after you've left the theater are second to two things. First, the story is surprisingly good and interesting. Second, the story is pretty damn funny.

While on capitol hill, Wilson is schmoozing, drinking and ogling his staff of beautiful chesty secretarial staff (one of which he calls jail bait which made me laugh every time). While at social events, he is dropping sexual innuendos with Herring and drinking and schmoozing. While planning a secret funding of a war against the USSR, he is trading quips with Avrakotos and drinking and schmoozing. No doubt he's idolized but there is something kind of fun and refreshing about a politician who does all the wrong things in his personal life (booze, drugs, women) but does all the right things in his political life (does the right thing despite the red tape). He doesn't bend knee to focus groups and so on.

Hanks is just about pitch perfect as Wilson. Hanks has the charisma to pull off a role like this and enough talent to convince you he cares about his cause. Roberts is fun too in her role as the advocate socialite. But hands down this film belongs to Hoffman. His Gust is a wise ass, wise cracking no nonsense, no bullshit guy who is serious about what he does. From the opening when he tells off his boss (for the second time we learn), you can't help but smile at his brazen attitude. And when he flips off his idiot boss, you want to cheer (especially if you've ever had an idiot boss).

Hoffman claims every scene he is in and not even Hanks and Roberts can keep up (thought the try valiantly). In fact I want to see a follow up film that follows the career of Gust Avrakotos. I bet that would be damn entertaining. So although I had a number of reservations going into this film (not that reservations or downright no desire to see a film has ever stopped me) I was very pleasantly surprised by how fun and clever this one was. It isn't a perfect movie but it was worth my money.