Film feature
|
Charlie Wilson's war and party By Albertina Lloyd
'Charlie Wilson's War' is a film which somehow manages to mix war with glamour. Just as the real-life Charlie Wilson flitted between buxom beauties and drug-fuelled romps, to spurring America into action to help Afghanistan fight the Soviets in the 80s, so this film mixes a perfect cocktail of politics and parties.
Un-characteristically cast, Tom Hanks - often dubbed "the nicest man in Hollywood" - plays playboy and Texas politician Wilson, whose love of drugs, girls and parties is far higher on his list of priorities than politics.But after the need for aid in Afghanistan is brought to his attention by the glamorous Joanne Herring - a Texan socialite with a social conscience played by Julia Roberts - Wilson is moved to take action and wage a covert war of his own.
The film plays out the true story of Wilson's political campaign to double the budget of aid sent to Afghanistan to fight communism in the form of the Soviet Red Army.
After failing to open the eyes of his fellow Americans to the plight of the Afghan people, as he has witnessed at first hand, he uses his connections to call in old favours and boost support for his campaign.
While this film tells the important story of a historic event, it is also a gripping drama.
Hanks excels as Wilson and his lavish playboy lifestyle and raunchy antics bring layers of light relief among the serious political issues.
The sweet and innocent star of 'Big' and 'Forest Gump' is seen snorting cocaine, cavorting naked in a hot tub full of girls and flirting outrageously with every "bit of skirt" in sight.
But just as the political plot of the film is all based in reality, so is Hanks' behaviour as Wilson, a notorious drunken philanderer.
Hanks said: "Charlie was around quite a bit while we were filming. He was there on set and he never had any qualms about how were portraying him. He said 'You can show me doing anything you like, because, chances are, I did it.' "
But Wilson realised there was more to politics than parties, schmoozing, drinking and flirting when he went out to the Afghan refugee camps and saw the reality of war for himself.
At the time the film is set the Cold War is in full swing, and America wants nothing more than to bring it to an end. But it takes Wilson's sterling effort to make the rest of the country realise that letting the Soviets take Afghanistan was only going to weaken the west.
The movie is based on the book of the same name by journalist George Crile. Directed by the legendary Mike Nichols, of 'The Graduate' and 'Closer' notoriety, and written by Aaron Sorkin, the creator of hit TV show 'The West Wing', it tells the story in all its inspirational glory.
There is glitz and glamour, but behind that is a country in need of help, while the rest of the world looked the other way.
But while Wilson has many dalliances with beautiful women and is surrounded by a flock of lovely secretaries, known as his 'Charlie's Angels', it is for one woman alone that he rides into battle.
The enrapturing Joanne Herring wraps him round her little finger and persuades him to use his political power to boost awareness about the Afghan-Soviet war. It is she who sends him to Pakistan to meet with the president and ambassadors to build upon her plan, so that together they can bring about an end to the Cold War.
Roberts - making her return to the big screen after a three-year break to be a full-time mother - is brilliant in her portrayal of the glamorous and influential Herring.
She oozes style and sophistication and is the queen of every party. But she is not just a pretty face and is able to apply her makeup in her boudoir while simultaneously starting a political landslide on the telephone.
This is one glamour-puss who doesn't purr - she barks.
Roberts said: "That great big Houstonian way Joanne approaches things is a little intimidating to me. But I loved that she's so driven by her belief in fairness and justice and religion. She's a true Christian, and what I respect about her is that she has strong beliefs and doesn't deviate from them. We don't see that a lot today.
"I went to lunch with an Oscar lobbyist and he said that this was the first of my matron roles!
"Joanne's so fantastic to play, and between the hair and the t**s and the attitude, bring it on - if that's matronly. I loved every second of it. I don't read that many scripts. With this - I didn't even come into the thing until, like, page 35 or something, and I was glued to every word. It's amazing."
Phillip Seymour Hoffman is sharp as ever in his portrayal of CIA agent Gust Avrakotos, a maverick spy who has been banished to being in charge of Afghanistan as a punishment for his wild ways. He and three other men have been left to deal with the invasion by the Soviets, which should never have been allowed to happen in the first place.
He and Wilson bond over a stiff drink and some straight talk.Hoffman said: "This is really a great story about these characters whose liabilities are their greatest assets, if that makes any sense."
This is a captivating story, played out on the big screen with humour, excitement, glitz and glamour. But these are not elements that Hollywood has injected for affect. Wilson, Herring and Avrakotos were characters made for the movies. Their glittering lifestyles are the perfect backdrop for making the portrayal of this real-life drama a Hollywood blockbuster.
At the same time this is a serious political drama and a true story. Thanks to Wilson's campaign, America waded in and helped Afghanistan win the war. But when the battle is over, victory is toasted with a drink and forgotten about.
As the film comes to an end, after securing $1 billion worth of funding a year for the war, Wilson and Herring are keen to continue sending financial aid to Afghanistan to help the war-torn country get back on its feet. But the rest of their countrymen have lost interest again, and are happy to leave it to sort itself out. As Wilson is quoted in the movie, "It feels as though we didn't finish the job."
There are plenty of parallels with today's situation in Iraq. America invaded, captured Saddam Hussan, and then appeared keen to abandon the unstable county.
Hanks, who also produced the film, insists he did not set about to make a comment about Iraq.
He said: "This isn't about Iraq.
"I don't know if you can make a war movie about Iraq until we have some distance on what has happened in Iraq because I don't think you can make a fake movie by going to Marrakech or Death Valley and putting guys in desert commando outfits and having them shoot at extras with special-effects helicopters flying around and have that be more insightful than what I can get off of YouTube by typing in 'combat footage from Iraq.'" 'Charlie Wilson's War' is about something happening in 1980. I'm going to lay claim to the fact that we actually have some distance and perspective now." But even if it was not intentional, the similarities are there.
This is a drama that delivers both a political message and a gripping tale of three colourful characters. It serves up a cocktail of drama, humour, glamour and entertainment, shaken up with a hint of harsh reality.
Audiences who go to see this film need know nothing of the background and can happily sit back and enjoy the rip-roaring tale and gripping plot. But some may also notice an attack of conscience, a niggling feeling that history is repeating itself, yet again.
|
|
|