Charlie Wilson’s War December 29, 2007
Posted by fitsnews in : Pop Culture, US Politics , trackback
SORKIN’S LATEST SCRIPT ELEVATES UNCONVENTIONAL WAR DRAMA
FITSNews - December 29, 2007 - If the abysmal box office failure of recent politically-themed war dramas tells us anything, it’s that Americans don’t appreciate Hollywood trying to shove its world view down our throats. The left coast liberal elites don’t like war, nor do they particularly approve of the ideologue hawks who pursue it. We get that.
Fortunately for those of us who appreciate a little wit, intelligence and irony interspersed with our brainwashing, we have Aaron Sorkin, the creative force behind television’s The West Wing and the latest poli-war film to hit the big screen, Charlie Wilson’s War.
Despite receiving mildly-favorable reviews from fans and critics alike, Charlie Wilson’s War is one of the best films we’ve seen recently, thanks in large measure to Sorkin’s screenwriting genius and the remarkable on-screen chemistry between actors Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. In fact, only a lifeless performance by Julia Roberts holds the film back, in our humble estimation.
Charlie Wilson’s War centers around the covert involvement of the American government (well, the involvement of one hard-drinking, womanizing Congressman, anyway) on behalf of the Afghan Mujahideen, who successfully resisted a full-scale Soviet invasion of their country in the 1980’s.
Unlike the inescapable liberal bias of The West Wing, however, if Charlie Wilson’s War glorifies anybody, it’s the Heritage Foundation-types who successfully pushed for and implemented a massive covert arms infusion to the Afghan rebels, a policy of supporting insurrections against communist rule around the globe that later became known as the “Reagan Doctrine.”
Of course, one of many ironies in this story is that such an effort was initiated by then-Rep. Charlie Wilson, a Texas Democrat with moral shortcomings capable of making even the Kennedy brothers blush.
Wilson is portrayed brilliantly by Hanks, just as his partner-in-stealth, disgruntled CIA case worker Gust Avrakotos, is masterfully rendered by Hoffman, who turns in his best performance since playing the title role in Capote two years ago.
Sorkin’s rapid-fire, reference-heavy dialogue is at its zenith when these two stars are sharing the screen as unlikely heroes struggling to supply the Afghan rebels.
“You’re no James Bond,” Wilson tells Avrakotos in one scene.
“Well, you’re no Thomas Jefferson, so why don’t we call it even,” Avrakotos snaps back.
Unfortunately, the movie’s well-crafted script is severely disrupted by Roberts’ disappointing portrayal of Houston socialite Joanne Herring, a former beauty queen turned international anti-communism advocate. Maybe it’s just the exceptional performances turned in by Hanks and Hoffman, but Roberts seemed to “phone in” her role by comparison, never generating a spark for what should have been an immensely colorful and eccentric character.
Of course the lingering lesson of Charlie Wilson’s War isn’t the stunning defeat dealt to the powerful Soviet Empire by a band of Afghan guerrillas and their kooky American allies, it’s the utter failure of the Western powers to successfully capitalize on what could have been a compelling victory.
Indeed, the Soviets suffered their lone military defeat in Afghanistan, but American disengagement from the region following the conflict created a volatile and heavily-armed vacuum that was seized upon by al-Queda and the Taliban.
As Wilson’s postscript quote so eloquently observes, ”we f*cked up the endgame.”
Comments»
I saw the movie, ironically two days after the assassination of Bhutto. And to hear them talk about the killing of Bhutto in the movie was weired, they were speaking of her father twenty something years earlier, but still weired!
I really enjoyed it, and I am Julia Roberts fan. However I think she may have to move over. The real female star of the movie was Amy Adams. She played Wilson’s personal assistant. Go back and give her a second look, she’s going to be something for Hollywood to deal with very soon.
Great movie. Anyone interested in politics, Local, State, or Federal should make time to see it. I laughed most of the way through it.
Charlie Wilson’s War…
Charlie Wilson’s War is a satirical take on politics and with some good performances is surely a must watch.
……