The acting by Hoffman is superb. He steals every scene that he's in and provides a great foil to Hanks. The film moves at a good pace, keeps you entertained, and tells a good story based on real events.

What a briliant movie to point out a flawed strategy. Take this in and think about current events. Thought provoking and humorous!

Suffers from its lack of poignancy. When did Hoffman become such a beast? His acting is awesome to watch (Unfortunately, his make-up is not). This movie has no idea what its trying to say and ends up pulling out some kind of meaning out of nowhere in the final scenes. It celebrates war, womanizing and good old irresponsibility only to reprimand the viewers at the end. Forgive me for wanting more in a political comedy.… Expand

It's nice to see a well made portrayal of how many operations within the American government *really* work: with handshakes, not votes. I'm glad the public is being shown an image of the reality behind many of these men in Washington. Hoffman is amazing as usual and Tom Hanks does quite a good job. Overall a good movie. They passed up the perfect opportunity to mention Bin Laden (an active member of the Mujahadeen that Charlie Wilson funded). If they had mentioned him, even in passing, the movie would have been a grand slam!… Expand

You could spend a worse 90 minuntes for sure - Roberts and Hanks are reliable, Hoffman is wonderful. The events are simplified, but then its not a documentary, so people should get over that. My only real criticism is that I felt all the charicters were fairly two dimensional charicatures - the socialite, the playboy, the CIA man - none of them seemed very real and Hanks can't help but put a comedy twist on everything - even a chronic alcoholic in charge of a $1 billion dollar arms budget.… Expand

Great and fun movie. Particularly fun for "inside the Beltway" folks. Tom Hanks is terrific!

First, it was funnier than I expected. I guess you shouldn't be surprised by an "expose" of what being a Congressman is like but Hanks' portrayal of the womanizing Wilson is good (although he did seem less into women than someone who hires them for their looks would be). The real prize here is Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who plays the CIA analyst that partners with Wilson to bring weapons to the Afghan mujahedeen. It's very entertaining and has no dull spots. Trying to tell a complex real-life story like this in a 2 hr movie is hard and this is the film's only weakness IMO.… Expand

Despite a few structural flaws, it is highly enjoyable--well written, well acted, funny, and occasionally even poignant. For what more can one ask, really? Hmmm?

Tom Hanks is always watchable, but the story is told in totaly exposition. Few laughs. Little new insight.

I thouroughly enjoyed this movie. Tom Hanks was great as usual. Historically it may not have held the line but was well worth my ten bucks. Lots of laughs and eye-opeing as well to the Afghan/Soviet conflict. See it!. And avoid Sweeney Todd at all costs.

This movie is way underrated. The story is compelling, there's plenty of action without gratuitous violence, and the acting is excellent.

Very different roles for Hanks and Roberts, but very good also. Interesting characters in this interesting and true story.

This movie is horrifically overrated. The acting was at times diabolical, direction was very poor....script was almost as cheesy and cringe inducing as Bobby. I seriously don't understand the praise this is getting, sure the subject matter is VERY interesting, but deserves a much more intelligent piece of work than this. Poor.

Is Tom Hanks supposed to have a Texas accent in this? What a joke. He sounds like Robert E Lee.

I can scarce remember a better character than Gust Avrakotos in an american film. Kudos to Aaron Sorkin.

A very snappy movie written by Sorkin. Wow! Philip Seymour Hoffman completely steals the movie from Hanks and Roberts, which doesn't seem as if it would be that easily done. I can't wait to see it again!

Witty cynical rendition of real history

Whimsical take on a U.S. Congressman(Hanks), his wealthy socialite backer (Roberts), and the CIA (Hoffman) and their covert operation in financing the Afghan rebels to force the Russians out after their bloody invasion in the 80's. Mike Nichols avoids all serious overtones of the subject with the same touch he used in Primary Colors, funny wise-cracking script, great cast, excellent pacing that ends with probably 75% of the audience smiling and not having a clue that the rebels we helped saved the day for would soon after become The Bin Laden Gang, and we don't know the end to that one yet!… Expand

"Based on a true story" should be kept in mind, less some people take this for a history lesson without doing any of fact checking on their own. Tom Hanks creates a loveable alcoholic, womanizing underdog that you can

Tightly edited with Sorkin's witty, rapid fire dialogue, this is a fine film with wonderful performances. It is a shame that the marketing campaign emphasizes the party-girl background because there seems to be a fear that anything political--or referring to war in the Mideast--will tank at the box office. Loved it!

PSH rules this film.

Thoroughly enjoyable movie. P.S Hoffman is brilliant. Plenty of laugh's, despite the serious undercurrent of the movie. Doesn't drag on like far too many movies do. Definitely worth a look.

I enjoyed this movie, Decent plot enjoyable humor.... It felt a little short and rushed in the end. the lines were laugh out loud outrageous, and all in all, It was a good Saturday evening flick. I guess sometimes movies are the experience they bring . And sometimes a good date can make a movie so much more satisfying

Though philosophically flawed (as pointed out by other commentators), it focuses on several important issues very effectively. It is entertaining, although about matters too serious to laugh at. In that way reminiscent of Dr Strangelove.

Well-written, with characters that portray humanity in all its shame, splendour and excellence.

It made me long for the good-old-days of the cold war. Well, not really but almost; certainly for books and movies about that era. I could have done without the bathos of the visits to the refugee camps.

It should be noted that one of the Afghan Rebels was Osama Bin Laden. Another case of U.S. foreign policy coming back to bite us in the rear. I wonder who will rise from the dust of "Shock and Awe?"

Anyone who doesn't give this movie an 8, 9, or 10 must not have gone to the movies lately. This movie is funny, intelligent and the acting goes from very good (Hanks and Roberts) to great (Hoffman). It also is about real life important events that have been shot as an entertaining story that never lets the pace slow down. I just wish I had seen ot on the big screen rather than on a DVD, it probably would have been even better.… Expand

Great film. If you're a political junkie like me, you'll eat it up. Hanks, Roberts, and Hoffman are spot on.

I loved the movie. Fast paced, funny, thought-provoking, great acting, and politically relevant. I was sorry it ended. The movie seemed to fly by.

Very well-acted and entertaining. I am not sure how much of the movie is actual fact, but the overall story is certainly educational. This movie is also stylish and comedic in unexpected places.

Fantastic acting and great script have resulted in a captivating story that unfolds to educate the audience about how a period in history came to be. It is funny, darn funny and may even have got the more laughs out of me then anything else I have seen in a long time. Yet the matter was no laughing matter. But that is exactly why the film works so well. You know how coldness of the ice cream goes so well juxtaposed with the hot apple pie making for an entirely satisfying experience. Some have decried that which was conveniently not depicted. I do not expect films to be Frontline documentaries so if there are inaccuracies or highly pertinent facts left out then I do not think the film needs to denigrated for that. It behooves the audience of any film not to be gullible and not to be lazy; we the watchers have to use the movie as kernel from which to educate ourselves about the remaining details. Have you ever read or watched the Magic School Bus? Where do we go for the post script "reality check"?… Expand

This movie takes complex historical events and simplifies them to the point of idiocy. It's pretense to historical reality is garbage. Its basically well produced piece of junk from people who get their history from comic books. Don't waste your money; nothing going for this film that was neither "rational" nor "inspirational", but rather demonstrates the problems with people who are specialists in acting thinking that they actually understand international politics. Don't waste your money.… Expand

Great script and witty performances.

Eric, you are quite the pretenious one aren't you? The movie of course lacks in many elements of historical inaccuarcy, which i'm sure is why you went and saw the movie in the first place, to reiterate your feelings that hollywood can never produce something that has historical credibility; it was fairly accurate, however, in the least it was about charlie wilson's life and ability to get america behind a war but not a cause. I feel the message at the end was too short lived in this aspect, and that the focus of a movie on politics is not necessarily facts but attitude; we know going in that it isn't a documentary so why chastise so harshly for foreknowledge that we all should have had? Well acted, well directed, well described, and lacking somewhat in its final punch, though in some ways the lack of regard seems to hint at the fact that we as both movie goers and Americans often change gears and ideals just that quickly.… Expand

I really liked this movie an it had a lot of hotties (Charlie's staff does show that they are smart and competent). It doesn't come off as too preachy or left-leaning, which is surprising since Aaron Sorkin wrote it. The only thing that would make it "better" is to include a few more dates throughout the movie. It starts out showing a date in 1980 and a half hour or so later, Bowie's "Let's Dance" is playing in the background, which I guess is a clue to the audience that three years had passed. Then they soon afterwards, they start showing dates in 1987. Minor gripe, but I'm sure most didn't realize that one scene was in 1983 (or 1984).… Expand

What a great cast, with a very fine performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Good story, but was surprised at some rather slow moving stretches. Well produced, fine score. A good, but not great movie.

I had low expectations about this movie, but it really surprised me. I thought it was funny and sexy.

Let the horndog be a horndog on his own watch, and he just might surprise you, just like the congressman from Texas in "Charlie Wilson's War". Our former president was a horndog, on his own watch, no doubt(it's not as if the former-White House intern was present at any intelligence briefings), but the mother*****' conservatives wouldn't let it go. Then we, conservatives and even liberals alike(influenced by the barrage of media coverage), wouldn't let it go, too. But look at the congressman from Texas in "Charlie Wilson's War", whose peccadillos never interfered with his civic-minded faculties. The blood always knew which way to travel. The filmmaker gets this message across during a comical, but purposeful scene, in which Rep. Wilson(Tom Hanks) shows off his ability to compartmentalize, when he has to deal with a potential personal misconduct scandal, and learn all the nuts and bolts needed to start a covert war, by having separate, intermittent discussions with Bonnie Bach(Amy Adams), his assistant, and Gust Avrakotos(Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a CIA agent, in fire drill fashion. Point taken. This melange of the personal and the political, nicely compliments the opening scene, in which Wilson watches Dan Rather in Afghanistan from a jacuzzi stocked with bare-chested strippers. So does "Charlie Wilson's War" inform "Primary Colors"(also by the same filmmaker)? The short answer: yes. Had we allowed the former-president to get his rocks off without incident, maybe, just maybe, we'd be living in a different world today.… Expand

I wasn't bored, but I could hardly believe much of it. even though we're told the basic facts are true. Tom Hanks is out of his element, and Julia Roberts is seriously miscast. It's no surprise that the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman steals the show. The film ends too quickly with an almost casual brush off of the significance of the consequences of Charlie's adventure. Mike Nichols did much better with "Primary Colors."… Expand

I went in expecting to be entertained, and I was. But the humor caught caught me off guard. Big laughs. And a lot of them. Philip Seymour Hoffman is great, as usual; the director's touch is light and sure; and Sorkin's screenplay surprisingly lacks a political agenda. This is a light and breezy comedy with the tone and feel of "Catch Me If You Can."

This was a well done film but emotionally I couldn't commit to the film. When I heard the line "We want to kill Russians" it was a little weird. The downing of Russian helicopters was anti-climatic and I thought the ending was a throw in and weak attempt to even out the movie. This movie proves, Julia Roberts can still pick her parts, Tom Hanks is a good actor and Hoffman is a great actor.

I don't understand why this isn't rated higher on Metacritic. It's Mike Nichols, great acting, and a story at just the right length. To top it off, it's one of those true stories that resonates today.

This movie was hilarious and considering the fact that it was based on politics made it even more amusing. I was not expecting what I got out of this movie.

First and foremost, Charlie Wilson's War is extremely well-performed, with Tom Hanks giving his best performance in years as the Texas Congressman who transforms from an irresponsible playboy scumbag to a moralistic defender of Afghanistan. Julia Roberts also impresses as Joanne Herring, a manipulative and religious socialite, as does Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the maverick CIA operative Gust Avrakotos. Aaron Sorkin's script is an absolute joy, full of fun, energy and satire not only of the past, but the present as well. It's really a wonder why the events shown are not more widely known about, or heavily appropriated for film, as "the largest covert operation in history" makes for cinematic gold. Everyone thinks of this fascinating period of history as simply another war (albeit without actual military engagements) between the USA and the USSR, and it's easy to forget how many other countries were drawn into this conflict between two superpowers. The film does attempt to address this oversight in cinema, and its hugely gratifying to witness lesser-known history on the big screen. The finale is a little generic and disappointing in comparison to the rest of the film, and you could certainly ccuse director Mike Nichols and Sorkin for presenting a rather rose-tinted view of the controversial Wilson. Though the congressman's intentions may have been noble, you cannot ignore the fact that he lent substantial support to groups and individuals whose intentions were decidedly less so. Romanticised though it may be for the sake of empathy and dramatic resonance, the film is still an enjoyable insight into an extraordinary figure in the history of international politics, and a fitting and intelligent tribute to a man who many remember with much admiration.… Expand

Superb performances from Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and the brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman have helped create a well-written, cunningly humorous and era-driven tale based on a true story surrounding 1980s congressman Charlie Wilson.
Aaron Sorkin's writing capability is completely out the open in this film and its nothing short of genius. Sure, the film is not going to run away with any honours because it does sometimes stray from the point by going from a biopic to a straight up war film. But it is definitely the acting capabilities and Soviet era surroundings which make this film worth 90+ mintues of your time.
The process by which this film plays out, i.e. funding the mujahideen to defeat the soviet onslaught in Afghanistan, is seen as the eventual ramifications which led to the events of 9/11. This shouldn't deter you from watching. The chemistry between Hanks and Hoffman in particular are wonderful scenes to watch, as they bounce off each other like Chuckle Brothers in suits.
Julia Roberts is delectable as Charlies 'friend' Joanne Herring, bringing a touch of elegance and class to to her role, and lest we forget the then up and coming Amy Adams as Wilson's assistant Bonnie Bach.
Hanks is a very convincing Charlie Wilson, he has clearly spent much of his time preparing for the role by learning mannerisms and through Sorkin's writing and Mike Nichols direction, has fluidly combined a business and pleasure persona to make a very likeable character.
The dialogue, as stated before, is very well written and spoken brilliantly by the cast, the chemistry is is natural and doesnt feel forced, and the lines in the film are delivered in a comedic, sometimes elitist fashion, but fun nonetheless.
Excellent talent at show here has resulted in a thoroughly enjoyable movie that will be hard not to like, and in several occasions, hard not to laugh at.… Expand

When I sat down to watch Charlie Wilson's War, I thought it would be a can't miss. A true story, covered up by the government, starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts!? How could that be bad!? Well, for a change, Tom Hanks isn't playing a likeable character. Charlie Wilson is portrayed as a sex addicted man whore, who follows his dick more than his brain. As for the film, it was just so confusing to me, they jump from scene to scene so quickly and introduce a ton of characters so fast, that by the time they got to Julia Roberts, I was already sick of the film. I didn't even get through the whole thing to be completely honest with you. It's an unbelievable cast and a pretty cool story, but I was not happy with the way the movie was done. It was not easy to sit through or follow.… Expand