We just saw Charlie Wilson's War (downloaded from Amazon, amazingly high tech, of course I couldn't do it at all, DH is the king of all things technical in our household.)
I remember when it came out and there was something about the trailers that just didn't appeal to me, so we didn't go. But I was wrong, it's actually an excellent film.
Both Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are not always my favorites actors. I mean I loved Pretty Woman (well, I was younger then) but I don't often like her and if she doesn't smile, it doesn't work for me. And Tom Hanks isn't my favorite either. But here, under the direction of Mike Nicols, they both give really strong, unactory performances. Julia doesn't smile much, but is entirely believable, and Hanks affable charm breezes along nicely. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as always, is superb. I don't think I've ever seen a film where he wasn't excellent.
It's funny, talky, got great witty lines, pretty texan gals, absurdity and gallows humour - because we know what happens after the movie ends. It ends with the Russians fleeing, and then chariasmatic Charlie no longer being able to get his funds, and thus no schools or infrastructure being built, and the seeds of the Taliban and Osama are sown. The movie ends with the quote, apparently by the real Charlie Wilson: "These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... And then we fucked up the endgame" Good review of the film here.
So it goes to show, that we sow the seeds of our own demise with our lack of follow through.
It was a nice glimpse into life in the '80's which feels far less politcally correct than life today. I also looked up Charlie Wilson and he pretty much appears to have been correctly portrayed in the film. A fine drinking man, who managed to get things started...
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