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Charlie Wilson’s War is a movie adaptation of the true story about Democratic Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, who conspired with a rogue CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos to launch an operation to help the Afghan mujahideen following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The film is adapted from George Crile’s 2003 book Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History. Urged on by his staunchly anti-communist friend and romantic interest, Joanne Herring, Wilson helps lead the effort to provide United States aid to the mujahideen. In the process, the film also reveals Wilson as a Congressman whose disdain for the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan is supplemented by his gregarious social life of women and partying. U.S. support for the mujahideen ultimately evolved into a policy known as the Reagan Doctrine, under which the U.S. assisted the mujahideen and other anti-communist resistance movements around the world. Controversial at the time, some now credit the policy with contributing to the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union and global communism, bringing about the end of the Cold War. This was an interesting cast. Tom Hanks provided one of his better performances as of late except for his hideous attempt at a Texas accent. Julia Roberts, also with a bad Texas accent, actually looked pretty good and it seemed that her lips had been deflated a bit giving her a normal mouth appearance. She was well cast in her part and is at least deserving of a nomination for something. Phillip Seymour Hoffman gave a brilliant performace, again demonstrating that even trolls can act. He is certainly one of the few actors that could play Shrek without makeup. I think he is underestimated as an actor even if you can’t stand his looks. I think Tom Hanks is looking for a good part. I personally feel he hasn’t done anything of merit since Perdition. Ladykillers was a bust, obviously a tax write off. He was a bumbling buffoon in The Da Vinci Code. Of course that movie was equally sluggish. If they were going to make a movie of a Dan Brown book, they should have chosen Angels and Demons. It had many more puzzles to solve, a lot more action, and significantly more killing. Anyway, this movie personified what our Congress is all about and should make you appreciate how much money is saved when they are in gridlock. It also makes you appreciate that in that every once in a while when one of our congressional bozos actually has something worthwhile, that maybe some good can actually come from it. This was a good movie. Entertaining. However, it is not the fodder that should feed Oscar nominations (with the exception of Hoffman). Don’t miss this one on the big screen.