Whether you think so or not (and judging by the anemic trailers and commercials I’m guessing not), Charlie Wilson’s War is a damn fine motion picture. Not without its foibles or missteps, this comedic historical drama is a marvelous, thought-provoking entertainment made with zest and zeal. From the moment it starts to the second it ends this film oozes intelligently hysterical pleasure and I for one can’t think of a better way of spending an evening than watching it. 

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures' Charlie Wilson's War

Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is an easy-going guy who knows what he likes and says what he means. Of course, what he likes tends to be young, heavily made-up and sporting a humongous pair of breasts (and is usually paired with a large glass of alcohol) but seeing he’s a politician that’s probably not going to surprise anyone all that monumentally.

It also allows him to fly a bit under the serious person’s radar, especially when he starts upping the sums being sent to Afghanistan to help the rebel fighters battle their Soviet invaders. With the help of Texas socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), trusted aid Bonnie Bach (Amy Adams) and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) he’s going to take a $5-million budget and turn it into a billion dollars, in the process bringing down the Russian machine and ending the Cold War. Not bad for a guy who likes fondling big boobs.

This is a seriously great movie. While the first two thirds are far superior to what follows, this is still a film just about everyone involved with should feel proud of. For director Mike Nichols this picture continues the iconic The Graduate filmmaker’s post-The Birdcage (What Planet Are You From? notwithstanding) win streak, Charlie Wilson’s War the perfect companion piece to both Catch 22 and Primary Colors.

It helps considerably that Nichols has actors like Hanks and Seymour Hoffman to deliver the majority of writer Aaron Sorkin’s (adapted from the book by George Crile) razor-sharp dialogue. These two slice and dice off one another like mammal shaped Ginsu Knives. The pit, patter and palpitate like no tomorrow, and watching the two of them at work is like observing Beethoven compose a symphony. Both, especially the latter, are fantastic, and no way this film works near as well without the two of them keeping things moving at such an electric level.

I wish I could say the same about Roberts. She’s fine, I guess (although her accent does get more than a tad annoying), she’s just around so infrequently it’s impossible to get a decent read on her. Joanne is a thinly written character and the Oscar-winning actress adds nothing to her. In fact, I was kind of happy every time she left the film, the moments she is around the only ones feeling both forced and false.

The same could almost be said about the story’s dark turn towards observational seriousness at the end. Gust’s mantra of “we’ll see” is definitely appropriate in regards to just how good a thing it was for the United States to help liberate Afghanistan, it just happens so hurriedly the full effect of what he’s saying doesn’t get a chance to sink in. 

Thankfully Nichols still has both Hanks and Hoffman to rely upon, each actor selling these final moments far more succinctly (and pointedly) then the script does. More, the quote ending the picture is absolutely perfect, intimately underlying every single wondrous thing the film has to offer and blissfully erasing the minute couple of things I could have done without. I loved it, almost as much as I cherished the rest of the movie, Charlie Wilson’s War as heady and frothy an entertainment pleasure as any I could have hoped for.

Film Rating: êêê1/2  (out of 4) 

Additional Links:

-  Charlie Wilson's War Theatrical Trailer