Charlie Wilson's War

Charlie Wilson's War is a comedy for those who like to watch C-SPAN, and I mean that as a compliment. There is much arcane information about geopolitics in the near East, weapons systems, and congressional subcommittees, but there is also plenty of humor, helicopters being blown out of the sky, sexy girls, and even Julia Roberts in a bikini. In short, there is something for everyone.

This is the true story of Congressman Charlie Wilson, a good ol' boy from Texas who seems to be in Congress basically for the perks. He enjoys booze and being surrounded by babes, as his entire staff is comely women he calls his Angels. "You can teach them to type, but you can't teach them to grow tits," is his philosophy. One of his biggest contributors is Roberts, who is one of the richest women in Texas. She is a fierce anti-communist and concerned about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Wilson is on the subcommittee that is responsible for covert military action, so he bumps up the budget for arming the Afghan resistance from five-million to ten. He finds out this is chicken feed, though, and quickly becomes allied with a CIA agent, Philip Seymour Hoffman. By the time they're done, the budget is up to a billion.

The film is a tightly-edited, concisely penned slice of black humor, smartly directed by Mike Nichols and well-acted by Tom Hanks, Hoffman and Roberts. The screenplay is by Aaron Sorkin, who was the creative mind behind The West Wing. This script, though, doesn't succumb to his worst tendencies like his TV show did. The characters here are true to themselves, and not mouthpieces for his particular brand of liberalism (I share his liberalism, but I grew weary of The West Wing, because all the characters sounded the same).

Hanks really lays on the charm in this role, and he had me sold. He makes Wilson a very endearing character, especially when called upon to be self-deprecating, such as when asked why Congressman do so much talking but do very little of substance. "Tradition, mostly," is his answer. Hoffman's CIA spook is a take-no-prisoners guy who is first seen calling his boss an asshole and breaking his office window. He is suspicious of Wilson at first but the two grow to trust each other, and it's a rewarding relationship to watch. Roberts is mostly window-dressing (the bikini shot, while appreciated, was incredibly gratuitous) but manages to give her role some sly oomph.

Also, though the film is set in the 1980s, it bears relevance today, clearly signaling that the U.S.'s failure to follow up with aid after the expulsion of the Soviets led to the Taliban revolution. Also General Zia of Pakistan is a character, and the fact that he was the one who had Bhutto hanged gave the film a very current spin, as I saw it only a few days after Bhutto's daughter Benazir was assassinated.