Charlie Wilson's War

Charlie Wilson’s War is an entertaining, albeit whitewashed, political drama.

The film tells the true story of how congressman Charlie Wilson, played by Tom Hanks and CIA agent, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, managed to covertly arm and finance the Afghani rebels against the Soviets in the late 1980s.

In Wilson, Hanks finally finds a role that suits the extra weight he’s been carrying these past few years, and while his performance is certainly entertaining, it doesn’t quite ring true. Sure, we get hints and glimpses of Charlie’s darker side, but nothing more. This is the film’s big weakness as, in retrospect, Charlie Wilson feels more like a character than a real person.

This shortcoming is made all the more apparent by Philip Seymour Hoffman’s dynamite performance as a disillusioned CIA operative. Hoffman’s world-weary glances and deadpan cynicism speak volumes for his character, who, more than any other in the film, feels genuine and true.

Though screenwriter Aaron Sorkin peppers the script with his signature brand of dialog, the film avoids feeling like a re-hash of his earlier political efforts such as The American President or The West Wing television series, though fans of either will likely enjoy this entry. Much of this is likely do to director Mike Nichols, who does a solid, if unobtrusive, job of eliciting great performances from his actors and then staying out of the way.

At only 97 minutes, Charlie Wilson’s War is also refreshingly short. There’s a lot of plot and characterization, but it’s all very efficient, thus ensuring that the film never wears out its welcome.