Hola all. Massawyrm here.
Is Charlie Wilson's War the very best movie of the year? No. Is Charlie Wilson's War the absolute funniest comedy of the year? No. Is Charlie Wilson's War the very best comedy of the year? Yes. It is. Take one part modern social relevance. Sprinkle in one of the best casts in the business. And just to cap it off, chase that down with a script by master scribe Aaron Sorkin. What that leaves you with is one hell of a powerhouse film based on the supposedly true story of how one of the most corrupt men in Washington helped bring down the iron curtain once and for all. Without anyone really realizing what he was doing.
First of all, Sorkin's adaptation is the tits. It is arguably the best thing he's ever written. Easily on par with his previous films and definitely up there with the very best of his West Wing work (including the episodes Twenty Five, The Two Cathedrals and 20 Hours in America) here Sorkin gets a pair of truly great characters to work with and really gets to cut loose. Rather than his normal, almost Capraesque good guys, we're treated to a delightfully corrupt, drunken womanizer, and a work obsessed complete raging asshole – both of whom still skirt the shores of being Capraesque, but do so while diving headlong into vice. It's an edgier Sorkin, the kind of characters that you just shouldn't like. At all. But just try to take your eyes off them. Try not to fall in love with them. Try to see them as anything but one of the best comedy teamups in years.
Hanks and Hoffman make an incredible dynamic duo – Hanks getting to play it for laughs with all the charisma you'd expect from him and Hoffman stealing the movie right out from under him every chance he gets. Never let it be said that Hanks is under-performing here. It's just that Phillip Seymour Hoffman is so fucking good, so undeniably badass, that he practically walks out and accepts the Best Supporting Actor Oscar several months early. This is the role some men wait their entire lives for. And it is the role that he will most likely be remembered for. Everything he does well finds itself in this character and presents the perfect storm of a performance. I can't think of a single supporting role this year that even comes close to this one. Hoffman overshadows them all this year.
Director Mike Nichols is equal to the task of the wonderful script and perfect casting and turns in a tightly paced, perfectly executed comedy that manages both to educate you on just how we ended up where we are in this day and age politically, while you're busy laughing your ass off. Now I've seen this referred to other places as a drama. Do not be fooled. A drama doesn't make you laugh this hard, this long and this intentionally. The dialog here is razor sharp – it's classic Sorkin set free with expletives and adult situations. The circumstances master politico Charlie Wilson finds himself in (or surrounds himself with) are rife with comedic possibility. And while there is plenty of heavy social commentary to be had, the film takes its time to get there – first softening you up with a stream of belly laughs, then sneaking in a real whopper of message.
It's rare that a film manages to be this poignant and funny at the same time. There's a lot of history to get through – it is after all about a single Congressman who finds himself in the odd position of helping fund Afghanistan's war with Russia, without it looking like we're funding a war against Russia – but it never lays it on thick or gets dull. Reminiscent of Good Morning, Vietnam, this film manages to make light of a very complicated situation, and at the end of the day, educates you in a way you didn't expect.
This film is about as well crafted as they come. And of all the TOP 10 films I've seen this year, this will no doubt be the one I rewatch the most. Charlie Wilson's War comes with the highest of possible recommendations. This isn't just the best thing I saw at BNAT, this is one of the best things I've seen all year.
Until next time friends, Sorkin if ya got ‘em.
Massawyrm
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