A decided relief after 2007’s batch of clumsy, heavy-handed Iraq war dramas. This actually makes you laugh as it demonstrates the folly of American foreign policy. The picture is a fictionalized account of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s covert aiding of Afghan fighters against the Soviets in the 1980s. Portrayed here as a drinker, womanizer and all-around wheeler-dealer, Wilson seems to lack all of the moral scruples that would otherwise prevent him from getting such a job done. As Wilson, Tom Hanks has a blast playing against his wholesome type. He invigorates every scene he’s in, producing especially electric sparks with Julia Roberts (as a conservative Texas socialite supporting his cause) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (as a brusque U.S. spook who handles the dirty work).
