Charlie Wilson's War

When you have a cast consisting of Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, a script by Alan Sorkin and Mike Nichols directing, you have high expectations, right? And sometimes high expectations can be disappointing. Such is the case with “Charlie Wilson’s War,” a light-hearted tale of the United States’ covert war against the USSR in Afghanistan. Charlie Wilson (Hanks), a Texas Congressman known more for his love of parties and beautiful women, has just been appointed to the Defense Appropriations subcommittee in 1980. At the same time, socialite Joanne Herring (Roberts) and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Hoffman) share a common goal of kicking the communists out of Afghanistan although they do not use the same methods to obtain that goal. When Herring convinces Wilson to use his clout on the committee to provide funding, these three very different people prove to be effective associates. In fact, Charlie Wilson is credited with being one of the architects of the successful efforts to rid Afghanistan of communism. Hanks gives an effective performance and his charisma lights up the screen even though he plays a man with questionable morals. Hoffman is allowed to chew up all of the scenes he’s in and he certainly takes advantage. Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) is appealing as Wilson’s faithful assistant, but Roberts seems a little too plastic. Nichols keeps the pace zipping along and Sorkin’s script is interspersed with humorous one-liners. What’s not to like? All of the ingredients seem to indicate a successful concoction. However, “Charlie Wilson’s War” isn’t the sum of its parts. Hanging over this story is the knowledge that the Afghan Mujahideen that the US provided with weapons are the same people fighting our soldiers today. It’s hard to watch this movie and naively cheer for Charlie Wilson’s War. (12/27/07)