Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Outline: In the early 1980s, Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is a US congressional representative from Texas seemingly more devoted to having a good time than to politics. He is also a member of two major foreign policy and covert-ops committees. Prodded by his major conservative supporter, Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), Wilson learns about the plight of the people are suffering in the brutal Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. With the help of a CIA agent, Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Wilson dedicates himself to supplying of Afghan mujahideen with the weapons and support necessary to defeat the Soviet Union.

If this movie had a subtitle, it would be, "Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams should star in everything." This is Hoffman's magic: even though he's a much better actor than everyone else involved (I'm not saying that lightly nor to be flippant) and even though he was clearly playing the character Toby would have been had Sorkin had been free to include as much swearing as he pleased on network television, he still creates a believable, enjoyable, full-fleshed human being. Then he goes ahead a quietly pockets his scene with Roberts without even looking like he's going to. It's like it just happens to him. The smartest guy in the room is too angry to be listened to, and he finally gets the ear of the very people who can help him make a difference, and he doesn't even take a moment to consider his good fortune.

Roberts gets swallowed up by her accents, which is a shame (!) because there are non-verbal moments when it was clear how good a job she was doing in the roll. Hanks is great, but he's been better, as though some of the vivacity has been drained from what should have been a larger than life character. Adams, on the other hand, has a small part and makes me wish I could see her sparkling, expressive face wherever I go (movie-wise, of course).

Director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin have a pretty good thing going here. It's smart and funny and sometimes even sexy, which is a great way to present a story every American (at least) should know. But the early violence looks surprisingly fake, and it's hard to know who to cheer for when you've living through the long-term consequences. The movie pays lip service to Charlie and Gust's attempts to head the Taliban off at the pass, but it's all over in an instant. It seems like another movie is poised to begin where this one abruptly leaves off, and the sequel is more vital than what came before it. Still, this is pretty good. B+