There’s a limited numbers of people in Hollywood who can take a cautionary tale about the United States’ efforts to aid Afghanistan during the Russian occupation and turn it into a feel-good comedy. Two such people are Mike Nichols and Aaron Sorkin, whose Charlie Wilson’s War, a story of back-channel political dealings, pairs a playboy congressman and an out-of-favor CIA agent to battle for ideals. And only in Washington, D.C., can such a story be so absurd and still be partially true.

The action begins in Las Vegas, when Wilson’s (Tom Hanks) partying ways are interrupted by a news report about the Russian occupation. He is disturbed and, with the coercing of a wealthy, beautiful socialite from his home state of Texas (Julia Roberts), uses his congressional power to fund the Afghan resistance. But a few dollars won’t help, and when a former spy with a penchant for the dramatic (Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avrakotos) tells him so, the two team up to secretly build a barracks full of illegal weaponry and filter them to the Afghans under the noses of several international agreements.

But not all is so deadly serious. Wilson, a seasoned partier, also deals with scandals within his own life, leading to one of the film’s best sequences, in which Hoffman is ushered in and out of the office as Wilson’s bevy of stunning staff (led by Amy Adams) fill the congressman in on an ongoing report of drug use at a party he had attended and try to craft a response message. It’s here that Sorkin’s rapier wit shines most brightly.

Surely, a lot to love about Charlie Wilson’s War. Hanks is brilliant as the slightly slimy title character and Hoffman is a human scenery vacuum, continuing his success as a chameleon that doesn’t so much act as inherit character traits. When they share the screen, Sorkin’s words sparkle, bringing back memories of the very best of The West Wing. But the film loses its footing when Roberts’ character is brought into the mix, not because her actions are confusing but because she has no chemistry with Hanks and the relationship seems more forced than it should from such talented actors.

Only towards the end of the movie does the true message come through, as Wilson begins to watch the funding to stabilize Afghanistan dwindle and, with the help of Sorkin and Nichols’ 9/11 hindsight, sees a future that he doesn’t like. This message could have been planted earlier, allowing some roots to tint the rest of the movie; instead, you don’t really feel it until the credits roll. But it’s an effective punch, and a sufficient cap on a highly entertaining film.

Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5

Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed