DVD : Charlie Wilson's War [2007]

Rating: - Great Film, hate the advert
Although I already knew about US involvement in the covert war, it was interesting to see it splashed onto screen - not sure how the US Govt feel about it as it shows them being dragged into helping via Wilson, et al, rather than being proactive about it! The cast do a great job at getting into the skin of the characters they portray. I feel the film portray's Wilson's frustrations very well. Having rented the film, it is one I do feel I would buy. However - along with several comments here - that UNICEF advert at the beginning is incredibly annnoying. Was staggered that could not fast forward it, skip it, or get to the Menu. Never come across that before and it really wound me up as had to endure it. More likely to contrbute to UNICEF as a result? No.

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Rating: - Really good film, but.......
A really good film which is nearly ruined by a compulsory advert that try as you might you can't skip or speed up. I have no problem with UNICEF or the work it does but I strongly object to having to watch a rather long advert before you get to the real menu for the film.

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Rating: - Bitter satire on US foreign policy
Directed by Mike Nichols and written by Aaron ("West Wing") Sorkin, and, an opening caption tells us, based on true events, the War in question is the war between the Soviet Union and the mujahideen in Afghanistan in the early 1980s. The film starts with a pudgy-looking Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) being honoured by the "people of the clandestine services" in an aeroplane hangar. We then cut to a naked Hanks sitting in a hot tub surrounded by strippers and drugs, with one eye on a US TV news report on Afghanistan.

From this position of dubious moral authority, Wilson decides the mujahideen must be helped and he gradually engineers a massive increase in US government funds for CIA black operations. He's helped by a born-again southern plutocrat played by Julia Roberts (in a garish peroxide wig) and the excellent Philip Seymour Hoffmann as an old CIA hand who just wants to kill as many Russians as possible.

Made as it was in the aftermath of 9/11 and the global terrorist threat spawned in the ruins of post-war Afghanistan, this film's depiction of the Congressman's glorious victory can only be bitterly ironic. Either that or this is the most tasteless film I've ever seen. (The depiction of the Russians is plain racist.)

What's terrifying is how the US can exert decisive on a distant land where it has no real geopolitical interest, with no vision of the repercussions we're all suffering from now. As the film shows, once the shooting stops and the Russians have been forced to withdraw, the money is cut off and the Afghan state is left to fail. Even though Wilson pleads for a paltry $1m to build a school, he's met with indifference. Cue the Taliban and Osama bin laden.

Comedy? It's better that that, it's satire in its purest form.

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Rating: - Ruined by compulsory advert
I was really looking forward to this dvd was bought for me as a birthday gift. I sat down and prepared to watch it, only to horrified to have to!! listen to Gwenyth Paltro whine about Aids in africa, you can't skip it or fast forward you have to watch every time you put in the dvd.
I am outraged I will now never give money to whatever organisation it was on principle and dvd went it the bin

Good film though

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Rating: - Good film but spoiled by UNICEF fundraiser
We had great expectations of a hilarious film with a message. Although the story was gripping from the beginning, the fun really started about halfway through, when Philip Seymour Hoffman got into the action. Julia Roberts was disappointing, more reminiscent of Devil Wears Prada than the character in this film. Tom Hanks was excellent.

This was a nice mix of entertainment, thrill and political message. The exchanges between Hanks and Hoffman are very funny. The film gives a light-hearted insight into the American political and lobbying system, contrasted with the more serious side of war, as seen in the refugee camps. Then at the end of the film we are reminded about what happened after Russia pulled out of Afghanistan. This is pointedly brought out in the scene on the balcony. Do watch out for it. It leaves you thinking.

But the real negative of this DVD is the forced UNICEF AIDS fundraising sequence at the beginning. It lasts 4 minutes and cannot be stopped, paused, fast-forwarded or turn off. And whatever you do, don't touch the menu key while you are watching the film otherwise you have to endure the whole 4 minute sequence again. Personally, I would not buy this DVD knowing what I know now. Emails to Universal Studios about it just bounce back.

So, in summary, quite a good film but not good enough to live with the UNICEF sequence at the beginning. No matter how much you might respect the work of UNICEF.