Charlie Wilson's War

PASSING THOUGHTS
When a film is based on a true story, there’s an expectation for it to have an emotional or psychological impact beyond that of normal feature. In a true-life plot, the characters’ triumphs and defeats bear the gripping authority of reality and the weight of authentic consequence. Movies like “Remember the Titans”, “Patch Adams”, “We Are Marshall”, “Saving Private Ryan”, and series like “Band of Brothers”, all derive their strength from the fact that real people faced real struggles and ultimately overcame them.

Unfortunately, “Charlie Wilson’s War”—based on a true story—does not have an impact of any significance when all is said and done.

At first I speculated that this is because the protagonist/hero is a congressman, and it can be difficult to make political jousting and maneuvering interesting, let alone noble. But then I remembered watching a movie called “Amazing Grace”, the story of how William Wilberforce—a member of Parliament—spearheads the movement to abolish slavery in England. While it isn’t the most raucous ride of reality I’ve seen, it does manage to be uplifting in a way that “Wilson’s War” does not. A quick comparison shows why this is so.

First of all, Wilberforce is portrayed as an admirable character of intelligence, integrity and focus; he’s someone you’d want to have making decisions for your country. On the other hand, Wilson is called a “flawed hero”, which is a euphemism for, “a-character-of-questionable-morality-who-does-something-noteworthy”. His mission comes across as more of a hobby, and he seems more charismatic than intelligent.

Second of all, Wilberforce actually struggles and sacrifices to realize his vision while Wilson does little more than talk. Wilberforce is adamantly opposed by almost everyone else in Parliament, he puts his reputation on the line, and he forfeits his health in the passionate pursuit of his goal. Wilson is so casual and well-liked that he faces very little real opposition from his peers, and he never really risks anything.

Lastly, and most importantly, Wilberforce’s victory is vindicated by history, whereas Wilson’s triumph is tainted by hindsight. The abolition of slavery is an unquestionable boon for humanity; spending over a billion dollars to arm religious fanatics that we are now at war with is a dubious accomplishment.

Had “Charlie Wilson’s War” been made ten years ago, it might have bordered on inspirational.

Now it just comes across as bitterly ironic.

BASICS

Your Cup O’ Tea:
If you enjoy the in’s-and-out’s of political maneuvering, you’re a history buff, you have an appreciation for dry, snappy dialogue, or you are looking for a story that is carried mostly by solid performances.

Steer Clear:
If you’re looking for a film with a lot of action and suspense; there’s never a time where you’re on the edge of your seat, and the violence is kept to a few short sequences sprinkled throughout the story. There is also a goodly amount of profanity, a bit of nudity, and many sexual allusions.

Nothing New Under the Sun:
Charlie Wilson is essentially what you’d get if James Bond hailed from Texas and became a politician. It’s got the well-oiled dialogue of an “Ocean’s” flick and the action/dialogue ratio of “Lions for Lambs”.

Buy or Rent:
RENT. When the smoke clears, the story is almost depressing depending on your point of view. While the plot as a whole moves at a good pace and is augmented by some very good acting, there’s nothing terribly memorable about it. If politics are your thing, it’s worth a gander, but you probably won’t be going back for more.

FEATURES

-Scene Selection

-Language Selection

-“Who is Charlie Wilson?”
Approx 11.5 minutes. This feature is divided into two sections: Good Time Charlie and Charlie Wilson’s War. The first section talks about the real Charlie Wilson and is accompanied by footage of him from the 80’s and the present time. Charlie has an interview where he talks about himself and what he was trying to do, and the directors and actors comment on his remarkable life. The second section is more about what the situation was like in Afghanistan and how America’s covert involvement increased. Unless you’ve extensively studied the Cold War, most of this information will be new to you.
DUH! FACTOR: 1 out of 10

-The Making of “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Approx 17 minutes. This is mostly the cast and directors patting each other on the back and saying how great it was to work with everyone else. If you didn’t know how funny and awesome Tom Hanks was before, Julia Roberts will tell you. This feature addresses the script, the book it came out of, and why it was so darn good. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes footage and glimpses of the real Charlie Wilson. All in all, this is more of a lavish love-fest amongst the talent involved in making the movie. Most of the interesting information is explored further in the other feature.
DUH! FACTOR: 8 out of 10

Woulda Been Nice: If this movie came out before 9/11. The only reason it was satisfying to see the Russian planes and helicopters shot down was that the Russians were portrayed as being so sadistic and cocky. But watching Afghanistan soldiers launch rockets proved to be very unsettling. I turned off the movie with very little love for Charles Wilson and his war.