Charlie Wilson's War (Widescreen)

List Price: $29.98 Discount Price: $8.98

Customer Reviews:

Charlie Wilson's List [Posted on 2008-06-23]
There are many, many shocking things about this movie. The first of which is that it was written by Aaron Sorkin. I've invested in Sorkin's previous work, and was shocked to see his name in the closing credits of this awful movie. Second of all, I was even more shocked to see the positive ratings this trash has gotten from Amazon reviewers. Maybe I'm in the minority here (I certainly am on this site) but this film is one of the worst I've seen, bar none.

There is literally nothing good about this movie. There are a few things that aren't altogether awful (such as Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance), but when nothing in an entire movie can be described as "good," you know you've got a whole mess of problems at work. Here is a list that just cracks the iceberg.

1. There is absolutely nothing done by the filmmakers to get the audience involved with the story. There is no suspense, no character development, no character moments, no storytelling techniques used to pull the viewers into the story. It's just a sequence of film that I cared absolutely nothing about while watching it. I understand that this is based on a true story, so some will argue with this point. However, I'd counter that a true story deserves to be well done, because if a sequence of non-fictional events are worth telling, there is certainly an interesting story behind them. With better writing, a different director, a different producer, and a different cast, this could have been a poignant exploration of one man's journey to make a difference by aiding a cause he truly believed in. What this actually came out as is a sexist, dumbed-down mockery of real events.

2. This is based on a true story. They even had real footage blended in with the plot of the film, which further grounds this film in reality. However, if you plan on grounding the film in reality so much, why would you have the rest of the movie be so blatantly silly? Women in tight sweaters and skirts make up the entirety of Charlie Wilson's staff, and are draped all over his office like furniture. Not only does this add an undercurrent of objectification of women to the film, it makes for horribly cheesy scenes that totally pull the viewer out of the reality of the film.

3. There is not one scene here to establish a morally grey area. Americans are good, Russians are bad. Point blank, period. I'm sorry, but that's bull and makes for horrible viewing. All the best war movies show the morally grey area of combat and war as a whole, that two ideologies are at conflict and neither is good or evil, but that both sides are real people at conflict with each other. Not so here. This movie neglects that superbly intriguing moral grey area for cheap jokes and contrived speeches.

4. You know a movie is bad when an hour and forty minutes feels like you just watched The Stand. Twice.

Very simply, this film is a mockery of real life events that isn't worth your time. If the story of Charlie Wilson was worth telling, which I'm sure it was, I wish a more competent team had tackled the subject matter. This sinker easily takes a place on my Worst 20 Movies list.

1/10

very enjoyable [Posted on 2008-06-23]
Based on a true story (although overstating the importance) this movie is a short ,but not complete look at the Afghanistan war. Charlie Wilson had a role but certainly not as central as the movie implies. For a better perspective read "Ghost Wars" by Steve Coll. However the movie was fun to watch.

True Story [Posted on 2008-06-24]
What a wonderful story, and it's based on true events. This movie is highly recommended. It is also very well acted!!

Great movie, check it out! [Posted on 2008-06-28]
I had been meaning to see this movie for a long time, and I'm really glad I did. I had heard a couple of less-than-glowing reviews, so I was prepared to not like certain aspects, but I found it very interesting, extremely well acted & the script was excellent. The actors seemed to riff off of one another. The dialogue was fast, witty, sharp & funny as hell! The subject matter is interesting, sadly still relevant in that there are many atrocities occurring around the world, but to catch a glimpse of some behind-the-scenes workings was intriguing & illuminating. This movie is well worth a watch, and the acting is very strong. Tom Hanks & Phillip Seymour Hoffman are both brilliant in their roles, and I really enjoyed Julia Roberts' performance too. Overall, this movie is interesting, funny, sharp, and again relevant to the world today. It doesn't sugar coat the subject matter or tie anything up in a neat little bow, it addresses flawed systems and 'solutions' and reminds us that the world is a very complicated place. A great script handled with skill.

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

Lighten up and enjoy the flow of the movie [Posted on 2008-06-28]
I think it important when reviewing a film to review the film as a complete work of art, being aware of current trends and opinions as well as historical accuracy, but willing to hold back political correctness and historical micro-accuracy so that the film can speak for itself. If you are willing to allow the characters to be humans with flaws and the historic events to be abbreviated and truncated so as to make a smooth flowing narrative, then you can 'go with the flow' and enjoy this well written, well directed, well acted and well intentioned film.

I found the story here to be fascinating and well presented even though it covers just the high points of a drama that actually took place over 10 years as the Mujadeddin Afghani rebels struggled to repel an invasion by the Soviet Union army at the height of the Cold War.

The story is one where a playboy US congressman from the 2nd district in Texas becomes concerned about the struggle of the Afghani's against the Soviets and becomes even more frustrated when he senses that the State Department has no real assistance plans or support for the Afghani struggle. He is aided by wealthy Houston socialite Joanne Herring as well as a frustrated rogue CIA agent, Gust Avrakolos, a 24 year veteran of the Cold War. Through their plotting and deal making and clandestine activities, they are able to increase funding to the Afghani rebels from 5 million a year to 500 million a year and to turn the tide of the war so that the Soviets were bogged down in their own Vietnam.

The acting is superb, especially by the three lead actors; Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Mike Nichol's direction is superb for we are never bored and on the edge of our seats throughout this 102 minute movie that covers over 10 years of cold war struggle. Aaron Sorkin's script is crisp, witty, and creates a cohesive narrative from a wide swath of historic events.

The central theme to me seems to be that flawed individuals can do great deeds. A playboy, hard-drinking womanizing congressman becomes genuinely concerned in the plight of the Afghani people and their under equipped rebels. A wealthy right-wing anti-Communist socialite finds just the right politician to be her partner in using her wealth and influence to open doors. A CIA agent, frustrated after 24 years of fighting cold war in a bureaucracy, is willing to take risks and work outside the system to influence the course of historic events. They succeed as a team in a way that none of them could have done alone. Sometimes working outside the system has its rewards. Sometimes flawed folks engage in great deeds.

Should we worry? Should we be concerned that similar clandestine events may be being carried out by persons of influence in high places? Of course we should be concerned and as citizens we should seek greater transparency in the operations of our government. But we have certain advantages in that for any political force moving in a direction will encounter a political force moving in the other direction. A natural system of checks and balances. Also, as flawed human beings we know that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong, meaning that rarely do clandestine activities go as planned and remain secret, especially those that impact national security.

I suggest that you not allow this movie and actions of those in power freak you out but just enjoy a situation where a lot of pieces came together nicely for our national interests and that this tale is told cleverly and crisply.

Click here for more details and discount information...