Charlie Wilson's War: A Smart Comedy with Polished Performances

Charlie Wilson, the fun-loving congressman from Texas, is on a mission to help the Afghans fight off their Russian invaders and have a good time doing it. With help from the dazzling socialite, Joanne Herring, and Gust Avrakotos, the unorthodox CIA agent, Wilson manages to do just that. Wilson cleverly manipulates the Washington machine to covertly funnel arms and money to the mujahideen and orchestrate a wildly successful overthrow of their oppressors.

"Charlie Wilson's War", starring Tom Hanks as Wilson, is based on the true story of how the hard-drinking partier is enlisted by a well-connected Houston socialite Joanne Herring (played by Julia Roberts) to help the struggling Afghans fight off the overpowering Russians that occupy their country in the early 1980s. Wilson is shocked after visiting Afghanistan and seeing the horrible atrocities the locals have endured. Between his wild parties and sordid affairs, Wilson manages to find Gust Avrakotos (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a disheveled and disappointed CIA agent who helps him with some of the more covert parts of his scheme. When I say covert, I mean that not even congress was aware of what Wilson was up to. With his sharp wit and southern charm, Wilson brokers a number of back-room deals with Israel and Egypt as well as some Washington high-rollers in order to get his little war up and running.

Alternately billed as a comedy and a drama, this film rolls along at a breakneck pace, with winks and grins all along the way. The on-screen chemistry between Hanks and Hoffman is perfectly honed and each actor is perfectly cast. Roberts delivers a decent, if not stellar performance that doesn't hurt the movie. What truly makes this film amazing is the fact that it follows the book closely and actually happened. This film is smart and snappy, full of great lines and thoroughly enjoyable.