Stealth Entertainment: Charlie Wilson's War
By Scott Lumley
December 1, 2008
It's a question that I certainly can't figure out. The movie is flat out excellent and completely entertaining at every turn. Charlie is a rascal of a US congressman, and he likes his whiskey and pretty girls probably a little too much. He tends to push things a little too far, but always stops just at the point before it's going to cause serious trouble. He stumbles from event to event half loaded and picking up random women and connections along the way. The women are fun but it's the connections he casually makes that make him one of the key players.
Charlie casually raises the budget from $5 million to $10 million for covert warfare for the CIA in Afghanistan, and this brings him to the attention of Gust, a passionate if somewhat blunt CIA analyst. Gust introduces himself to Charlie by bringing him a bugged bottle of Scotch and by telling Charlie that it was nice that he doubled the budget for covert action in Afghanistan but the budget is still pretty much a joke.
Despite Gust's unique manner of introducing himself, Charlie listens to him intently and starts a personal crusade to get the oppressed Afghani people the money and weapons that they need to protect themselves. The two make the rare team, one that compliments each other, respects each other and trusts each other. It's nice to see in action. Both Charlie and Gust take turns backing each other up and keeping the other from stepping into something they shouldn't. I wish all politicians could work like this. We'd have world peace, cancer would have been cured, and the stock market might not be flushing itself down the toilet.
The team gets backed up, whether they want her or not, by Joanna, the Texas socialite millionaire zealot. Joanna is determined to save the women and children in Afghanistan, and she is not afraid to bend ears and twist arms to do it. Her fervor is intense and a little confusing, as she is a hardcore Christian that is totally immersed in the events of a war taking place in a Muslim country.
With these three leading the charge, Charlie and Gust go on a bit of a whirlwind tour across the world to bring people in on the cause. Backers are found, budgets are increased and the war gets surprisingly violent in a hurry. While it's nice to see the film include some rather ugly action, that really isn't where the film clicks. The meat of the film is in the clever, flowing and completely natural dialogue. Watching Charlie, Gust and Joanne work over each other and the people they need to fall in line is a terrific treat. Gust is sarcastic and smart, Charlie is goofy yet smooth and genuine and Joanna is passionate and blunt. All three are completely organic characters that are extraordinary yet feel like someone you might have met or know.
This is a really well done film. It's entertaining and thought provoking and excellent in every regard. It even has the neat trick of providing a Hollywood ending without cheapening it, because as Charlie learns late in the film, just because the war is over, that doesn't mean the work is done.
Charlie Wilson's War is without a doubt one of the best films I've seen in a while. And I say this in a year that provided me with my ultimate summer, film wise. It's not the best movie I've ever seen, but it's certainly up there. Too often we watch films for mindless entertainment to relax, Charlie Wilson's War is the antithesis of that kind of film. It demands your attention and rewards you for it. Rent it, buy it, or catch it on cable. Charlie Wilson's War is a movie that you should have seen by now. It's worth your time.
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