Charlie Wilson's War is definitely one of Mike Nichols's finest films. Though on the surface it is an entertaining romp through an extravagant Congressman's fight to stave off Russians in Afghanistan during the Cold War, look deeper and you will find a relevant and timely cautionary tale on how the US handles foreign affairs. It urges us to hold our congratulations and anger; we don't yet know the full consequences of our actions. What is the final result? "We'll see."The most impressive part about this hilarious movie is the acting. Tom Hanks is perfectly fluid, matching suavity with intelligence. He fully embodies his lovable character. Philip Seymour Hoffman is my favorite though. With a grimy demeanor, his sarcasm manages to piss nearly everyone off. But it just made me love him more. I actually thought Julia Roberts's character was worthless. She seemed like a minor character that was artificially blown up to match the star power of the actress.
I really disliked the war/fighting footage. It looked cheesy and fake and it was almost entirely unnecessary. I wish it had been completely cut out. Despite my complaint with the editing, I still found the pacing phenomenal. I was constantly and consistently entertained. This is in large part due to the wonderful writing--dialogue is something Nichols has always been able to direct exceptionally well. Taken as a whole, the movie is a wonderful joy ride with a message and it goes highly recommended by me.
IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0472062/