"Charlie Wilson's War"

Charlie Wilson's War is a film based upon the story of Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), Congressional Representative from the 2nd District of Texas from 1973 to 1997. The film centers around the early 1980s, when Wilson was, while still a lesser-known politician outside of Texas, sat on several foreign policy and covert-operations subcommittees. Through wealthy Texan supporter Joanne (Julia Roberts), Wilson becomes educated in the condition of the Afghani people under the Soviet invasion. Wilson decides to use all of his clout and position within the government to single-handedly supply the Afghanis with the weaponry needed to fight the Russians. His plan is successful, leading to a billion-dollar campaign ending in Soviet withdrawal. Unfortunately, Afghanistan ended up under the control of the Taliban, leading to the United States' eventual invasion around 2001.

The film, though based on actual historical events, breaks down the political to a digestible level. Aaron Sorkin, well-known for "The West Wing" and The American President, again succeeds in making what could be stifling political jabber into clever banter in his screenplay adaptation. Though close attention may be required to really understand all of the political explanation, allowing this information to glide over you without worrying about complete understanding does not detract from enjoyment of the film.

Hanks again is outstanding as Wilson. It was nice to see Hanks play a bit of a dirtier character. Wilson is the epitome of a skirt-chasing, cocaine-using, whiskey-guzzling salesman, but Hanks allows his flaws and strengths to compose a complete character. In the end, his virtues shine through, and Wilson becomes an incredibly likable character.

Roberts, as the Texan supporter, is underused in the film. Aside from a few scenes, Roberts is relegated to sideline supporter, much like her role in the Oceans franchise. As beautiful as ever, I would've liked to either have seen her more in the film or cast a lesser known actress to reduce the distraction from Hanks's portrayal.

Philip Seymore Hoffman has become one of my favorite actors, and he does not disappoint here. Hoffman plays Gust Avrakotos, a CIA operative who's bad attitude has left him punished as the point man for Afghanistan. The teamplay of Hanks and Hoffman is great, and Wilson's likability is matched point-for-point by Hoffman's surliness.

The film is incredibly enjoyable. While not a "film" (read: Oscar worthy, necessarily), it is a great way to spend a few hours watching the best acting America has to offer. I recommend it highly for a low-stress, low-emotion movie.

ROTTEN TOMATOES GRADE: 83% critics, 88% viewers

ANDERSON ELLIS GRADE: A-