The war of Charlie Wilson
America, early 80s: Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) loves hard drinks, beautiful women and cowboy boots. It is hard to imagine that this Texan playboy should have a decisive role in the outcome of the Cold War. But Wilson is not just a bon vivant. He also has a heart for outsiders. When asked by the equally wealthy and ravishing socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) to support the freedom fighters in Russian-occupied Afghanistan, one of the largest secret actions in the history of the United States begins.
The war of Charlie Wilson
Diplomatic Stripper
After talking with the Pakistani president, who has threaded Joanne, Wilson visits a refugee camp on the Afghan border. There, mothers bury their newborn babies, children show them their mangled bodies. The politician is shaken - and decides to help. Together with the worn-out CIA agent Gust Avrakoto (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Wilson is forging an unusual alliance of Pakistanis, Egyptians and Israelis to help Afghanistan. As behind the scenes, they manage to finance the secret resistance against the Red Army.
hard to believe, but true
"The War of Charlie Wilson" has everything an exciting political thriller needs: tricky businesses, dodgy characters, pretty women and thanks to Wilson a man of mission. Hard to believe that the story is based on true events. The basis for the film was the book by the same name of the journalist George Crile, who has detailed the history of the real Charlie Wilson recounted.
The result is a very political film that can also be understood as a critique of the US's Afghanistan strategy. Great politics is staged as a subtle game in which individual personalities can decisively change the course of history. Not only the history and the pithy dialogues captivate, also the high-carat occupation shines. Tom Hanks manages to neither glorify the glitzy character Charlie Wilson, nor to ridicule. And Julia Roberts delivers after several years of baby break a convincing comeback on the screen.
Conclusion: "The War of Charlie Wilson" is more exciting than any history lesson and worth seeing, because it sheds light on the difficult relationship between the United States and Afghanistan from a new angle. At the same time he shows very big Hollywood cinema, including outstanding actors.
