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| Charlie Wilson's War (Full Screen) | 
 enlarge | Actors: Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian Markinson, Shiri Appleby
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy New: $1.99
You Save: $27.99 (93%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (142 reviews)
Sales Rank: 13867
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: Arabic (Original Language), English (Original Language), Russian (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 102 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: MCAD61100565D
UPC: 025195004831
EAN: 0025195004831
ASIN: B0013XZ2QA
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Utter Bollox June 23, 2008
8 out of 12 found this review helpful
This film is dishonest, hypocritical, and manipulative throughout. I've given it a second star only because there is - credit where it's due - excellent characterization, witty scripting, and superior production values. But as a "history" of the Afghan War or Congressman Wilson's involvement therein, it's disingenuous pablum.
Wilson was not merely some disinterested observer undergoing an epiphany at sight of so much human suffering in the border refugee camps. He was a knowing and conscious CIA cutout, with a track record of Middle East involvement on behalf of Israel and East Texas oilmen. He raised money the old-fashioned pork barrel way to circumvent restrictions on the Agency; thus avoiding the kind of flak dished out to Oliver North who circumvented Congress as well. Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts' character) was no mere overly-religious society matron, bleeding for the Afghans' struggle for freedom of faith; but rather a full-fledged member of the religious New Right, out to enforce its own fundamentalist Taliban morality on American society.
The premise that it was the Afghan "muj" and their Stingers that broke the Red Army, which in turn "caused" the collapse of the USSR, is the film's essential and nonsensical theme. The decay of said regime began before the Afghan War - indeed, the war's very launching was a symptom of that decay, much as Chechnya for the successors of Moscow. To the real-life Wilson, supporting the Afghans was payback for Vietnam. Feeding the Afghan War - as with the Contras, or Jonas Savimbi of Angola - was part of the Reagan strategy of creating "two, three many Vietnams" and, if not rolling back Red forces, at least bleeding them white. Encouraging this war to continue, rather than attempting to settle it, did no service to the Afghans whom Wilson allegedly wept for.
The film tries to cover its loose postwar ends by portraying US "abandonment" of the Afghans; implying that if "America had stayed the course" (like Iraq, presumably) then none of the ensuing problems there would be pestering us now. Wilson of all people should knew that Afghanistan - like Nicaragua, like Angola - was a mere means to an end. It was on that pragmatic basis that he "sold" the war in the first place. It had served its purpose. That the US is now taking the role of the Soviet military is as ironic as the film's portrayal of those soldiers: we're treated to a lengthy setup of a Russian helicopter pilot sneering his contempt for traditional morality (like any good Red atheist or Hollywood glitterati) when he's kaboomed by a Stinger to the joyous wonderment of muj on the ground. We'll never see such fundamentalist joy on US screens directed at secular US personnel, of course. If Charlie Wilson's War was payback for Vietnam, then the current imbroglio can be seen as payback for CWW. This film's gloating is doubtless designed to cover that odiously loose end as well.
Charlie Wilson's bore June 19, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. Hoffmann is arguably one of the best actors around at the moment, while the prospect of seeing Hanks and Roberts share some screen time, with Sorkin's writing thrown into the mix and Nichol's direction made the wait to see the movie worthwhile.
And then i saw the film!! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I generally find political movies quite boring. But having avidly watched The West Wing for years and thoroughly enjoying Mike Nichols previous political film 'Primary Colors', i was expecting great, witty things from this duo.
Whilst there a couple of parts in the film i enjoyed, overall, i found myself looking at my watch wishing the film to finish.
Overall, very disapointing and i would only recommend this to people who were having trouble sleeping. This is the perfect tonic.
Oh, and a memo to Mr Hanks himself: Please keep your pants on in future yeah?
Charlie Wilson's War June 15, 2008
I really enjoyed this movie; Tom Hanks and Julia did a super job as usual. A peek at how politics really work.
 The Cold War, now available in Primary colours... June 14, 2008
So what do you know - it's possible to make a cheerful movie about the war...
Actually, the reason this movie feels so light and cheerful is that it is really about Charlie Wilson the man rather than the war. The movie tells the (based on true) story of the Texas Congressman who played a pivotal role in getting substantial funding to the Mujahedin in Afghanistan, eventually leading to the forced withdrawal of the Russians, thereby paving the way for the downfall of the Soviet Empire - as told by this movie at least. The interesting part is that Charlie Wilson was a womanizing party animal who was the last person many would have thought would tackle this issue.
The cast fit the bill perfectly - Tom Hanks surprises as the drinking Congressman, sharing a hot tub with strippers doing coke.. but retains the naivete that seems to have allowed him to say `why not' when faced with the question of increasing funds to Afghan freedom fighters. The woman asking the questions is a rich, headstrong Texan woman played by Julia Roberts, and the man in the CIA actually getting the job done and providing the technical explanations, is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
It's shot well, in bright colours and plenty of lighting so we never have a dark moment, and acting is perfectly fine throughout. There is even just a touch of acknowledgement at the end that things were not so straightforward, and a warning that with the Russians gone, and without funding rebuilding infrastructure and schools, the `crazies' would inevitably take the leading role. As of course they did.
On the downside, this is really a very superficial look at the issues, and a rather one-sided look at events in history. On the plus side, it's a fun and entertaining introduction to the man and the history, that at 1hr 38 min never outlasts its welcome.
Great Showcase for Top Level Performances June 10, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I try not to get caught up in the historical accuracy of films like this but if the film were overly critical or not critical enough you wouldn't hear such a wide range of opinions on the story's portrayal of these real life characters. Simply put, some of Reagan's guys thought this was dishonest, some thought it was just right. This is a good movie and given not so much the historical accuracy, but the historical context of its consequences, it was worth telling. Did Charlie Wilson unwittingly arm the Taliban? Is he still a hero for it? Nevertheless, as compelling as the film is in terms of the subject's modern consequences, its ultimate goal may not have been political at all, but to simply provide a look into some of the politics of the time and to showcase several outstanding performances. Hollywood veteran Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Silkwood) directs and Tom Hanks stars in and produces the film. Aaron Sorkin adapts the George Crile book effectively and you would think Sorkin's politics would be easier to detect, but I found the film to be relatively non-partisan.
For those who don't already know, Charlie Wilson was a Democratic Texas Congressman, who worked with a rogue-ish CIA agent to help fund the Mujahideen resistance in order to undermine the Soviet Union in their war with Afghanistan. This was dubbed Operation Cyclone and eventually lead to the Soviet Union's withdrawal from an Afghanistan and its government that would succumb to the resistence several years later. The film follows Charlie Wilson closely as he makes decisions that lead to these significant events. The conclusion seems to be highlighted by Wilson's apparent regrets in not being able to successfully raise support for the post-Soviet chaos of civil war that would follow. So in some ways we're the bad guys by not doing anything other than help blow things up I guess. Well, there are your shades of modern political parallels I suppose.
All of that aside, the thing that makes Charlie Wilson's War a very good film are its performances. Not just of Phillip Seymour Hoffman who was nominated for an Oscar in his supporting role, but also for Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Amy Adams and others are also very strong but it's the interactions between Hanks's Wilson, Hoffman's CIA agent Gust, and Roberts's Joanne Herring that make the film work. Their performances coupled with Sorkin's fantastic screenplay make the film as surprisingly humorous as the subject is interesting. Nichols has been at the controls for too many good films not to get the credit he deserves as well. I enjoyed every scene of this film for reasons I really didn't expect going in. Well-adapted real-life characters and actors who take their delivery very seriously.
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