by Missy Thompson
CORRESPONDENT
Some actors seem to play the same character in every film they make. There is little variety in their body language, speech or character development.
That's the reason I enjoy watching Tom Hanks -- because he's different in each film he makes. For many of his Academy Award-winning and nominated roles, Hanks physical appearance is drastically changed, which aids in a transformation to that particular character.
In "Charlie Wilson's War," Hanks doesn't look different, but his voice and mannerisms changed to create Charlie Wilson. However, what's most impressive about this film is Philip Seymour Hoffman, who blows Hanks and fellow co-star Julia Roberts out of the water. Hoffman stole the show.
Hoffman plays Gust Avrakotos, a fast-talking, smart CIA agent. Now this type of character has been done before, but the first words out of Hoffman's mouth are so shocking that you have to pay attention to the rest of the film.
Roberts, on the other hand, plays Texas socialite Joanne Herring and is downright boring. Everything from her lame Southern drawl to lack of personality come through. She's billed as a lead character, yet her part is quite small in comparison with Hoffman or Hanks.
In "Charlie Wilson's War," Charlie is a little-known Texas congressman, but fun-loving to those who have had the pleasure of sharing a hot tub or drink with him. It's 1980 and the Soviet government has invaded Afghanistan. Charlie's playboy exterior masked the mind of a genius and an underdog who would use his powers to bring justice in the Middle East.
Charlie joined up with Gust whose brains and wit would come in handy when dealing with the Mujahedin of Afghanistan. With the help of Joanne's wealth, the trio deftly operated a powerful funnel of money and weapons into the war-torn country. Since it was Joanne's idea in the first place, Charlie felt he would do everything he could to help.
By making alliances with Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians and lawmakers, Charlie, Gust and Joanne's efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union, which in turn ended the Cold War. The covert operation was one of the largest and most successful in history.
While some may be scared off by the premise of "Charlie Wilson's War," the acting abilities of this strong Academy-Award winning cast make the film worthwhile. Based on the book by George Crile, director Mike Nichols formed an interesting take on an important time in world history. Adding comedy to what would have otherwise been an biographical drama makes the film palatable.
For anyone who is interested in history or even likes the three main actors, I suggest they watch this film because it is enjoyable. It's the type of film that you wouldn't expect, unless you watched the previews. "Charlie Wilson's War" is an entertaining scope of history that is funny while being educational.
missy@tooeletranscript.com
Grade: B+
Rated: R
Time: 97 minutes
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