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Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Director: Mike Nichols

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Movie review

From Time Out New York

Communism’s collapse has been attributed to many factors. Apparently, the real straw that broke the commissars’ backs can be traced to a Las Vegas hot-tub party. That’s where Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks), surrounded by busty strippers doing blow, happened to catch Dan Rather interviewing Afghan mujahideen on TV and decided that, dammit, these anti-Soviet freedom fighters need a-fundin’! So, along with a sassy society matron (Roberts) and a smarmy CIA covert-ops expert (Hoffman), the hedonistic Dixiecrat managed to slip (on the sly) millions of tax dollars and a slew of rocket launchers to the country’s guerrillas. The rest is history; see what just one Lone Star politician with friends in high places can accomplish?

Unfortunately, we do, in more ways than one. Mike Nichols’s irony-saturated comedy assumes audiences can connect the dots: Everybody knows exactly how this victory comes back to bite us in the collective ass decades later. And like its booze-and-broads–loving hero, Charlie Wilson’s War coasts by on a surplus of charm, especially once the cast starts digging into screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s whip-crack repartee. Hanks and Roberts have fun harnessing their screen personas to these juicy roles; Hoffman’s feverish ranting is yet another glowing testament to his skills at playing charismatic a-holes. None of which saves the film from being guilty of preaching to the choir. Just because Wilson’s intentions were good didn’t stop him from screwing things up—and just because a politically savvy satire has an eloquent tongue in its cheek doesn’t mean the message won’t seem painfully obvious.

Author: David Fear 2007-12-17 22:43:59

Time Out New York Issue 637.638: December 13–26, 2007

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User reviews of this film

  • Carol S said...
    Posted on Jan 07 2008 20:55 A fascinating look at how Congress gets enlisted in causes. A wonderful complement to The Kite Runner
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  • mystic said...
    Posted on Dec 31 2007 16:03 I am Seymor Hoffmanned out and refuse to see one more film with him in it. And seeing him nude fucking put me off sex permanently. Thanks Hollywood. That's why foreign films are so palatable: The faces (and their bums) are not familiar. Hollywood constantly makes the celebrity overshadow the character.
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  • luke said...
    Posted on Dec 29 2007 15:27 Characters without any depth, all the cliches of hollywood are in this non-creative, boring and stupid film.
    If the soviets had won the war , at least this movie would never have been made.
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  • David said...
    Posted on Dec 22 2007 15:08 Saw this piece of drek last night. Sorkin's lightweight dialogue brings the incredible, true down to cable movie of the week standards. I read the book and couldn't wait for the movie and was major league disappointed. Could be the worst Mike Nichols movie of all times.
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  • Dave said...
    Posted on Dec 20 2007 22:41 Amazing movie! powerful acting by TOM HANKS,JULIA ROBERTS and PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN.
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Charlie Wilson's War

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Cast & crew

Director: Mike Nichols

Producer: Gary Goetzman

Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Ned Beatty, Om Puri full cast

Genre(s): Drama

Rated: R

Duration: 97 mins

US Release: Dec 21 2007

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