Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Ned Beatty
Director: Mike Nichols
Studio Synopsis: Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) was a bachelor congressman from Texas who had a habit of showing up in hot tubs with strippers and cocaine. His "Good Time Charlie" exterior, however, masked an extraordinary mind, a deep sense of patriotism and a passion for the underdog, and in the early 1980s the underdog was AfghanistanÑwhich had just been brutally invaded by the Russians. Charlie's longtime friend and patron and sometime lover was Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), one of the wealthiest women in Texas and a virulent anti-communist. Believing the American response to the Russian invasion was anemic at best, she prods Charlie into doing more for the Mujahideen (Afghan freedom fighters). Charlie's partner in this uphill endeavor is CIA Agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a blue-collar operative in a company of Ivy League blue bloods. Together, the three of themÑCharlie, Joanne and GustÑtravel the world to form unlikely alliances among the Pakistanis, Israelis, Egyptians, arms dealers, law makers and a belly dancer. Their success was remarkable. Funding for covert operations against the Soviets went from $5 million to $1 billion annually. The Red Army retreated out of Afghanistan. When asked how a group of peasants was able to deliver such a decisive blow to the army of a superpower, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq responded simply, "Charlie did it."
Rating: R
Running Time: 102 minutes
Official Web site: http://www.charliewilsonswar.net/
Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/charliewilsonswar/
Reviews:
EDGE Miami (A)
Hollywood.com (3 out of 4 stars)
Local 10 (4 out of 4 stars)
Metromix South Florida (3 out of 5 stars)
The Miami Herald (3 out of 4 stars)
New Times Broward-Palm Beach
The Palm Beach Post (B+)
The Sun-Sentinel (2 out of 4 stars) |
