Burton Speaks

On a whim, I rented the movie Charlie Wilson's War, which I'd heard good reviews of - but that's about it. It had never really appeared on my radar other than in a "hey, that would be interesting to watch" sort of way. Well, I rented it tonight and finished watching it moments ago. I can safely say that it was all kinds of enjoyable.

The movie, for those who are unaware, chronicles Congressman Charlie Wilson's funding of the Afghanistan Mujahideen during the late 1980's and their role as a proxy in the Cold War. We get to watch the whiskey-drinking, womanizing Congressman (played by Tom Hanks) as he, a wealthy Texas backer (played by Julia Roberts), and a foul-mouthed CIA operative (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) figure out the best way to help drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan.

First off - and I didn't know this until I watched the credits - the screenplay was written by Aaron Sorkin. Aaron Sorkin is known for writing fabulous dialogue and this movie carries on that tradition. The whole thing was written with such a dry voice that I couldn't help but smile through the whole thing.

Secondly, the acting was superb. Every actor involved was amazing - though I must confess, Philip Seymour Hoffman was especially enjoyable. (Apparently, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his part, so I'm not the only one to think so.)

Finally, the execution of the movie - the pacing, the editing, the presentation - were all fantastic. Really. The movie was quite good - one of the better ones I've seen in a while.

All in all, I recommend Charlie Wilson's War. It's a fantastic movie - and the lesson at the end is especially relevant. Check it out!