Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

A feel good CIA movie - yowsers, those are rare! I must say, I wasn't too hopeful for a true story about subversive military action perpetrated by a superpower. Thankfully, it was an honest show.

The story involves a congressman who raises a budget for a CIA project to effectively arm Afghanis against invading Soviets in the 1980's. The Soviet attack is rightfully portrayed as beyond brutal and the CIA is portrayed as disorganized and disinterested until the right people get on the case. We get a behind the scenes look at covert operations that ultimately succeed in bouncing the Red Army out of Afghanistan.

Of course, this would be just another red white and blue movie without a smart twist, something I'm sure Tom Hanks requires for any film he makes (quite literally as he produces as much as he acts). We get to see the CIA and a congressional house committee humbled as we see the aftermath in Afghanistan.

Acting in this film is genuinely grand. Awkward moments are central and the story is told very well as the characters push through taboos and political tape. Charlie Wilson doesn't as much go through a transformation as much as he wakes up and acts. His story is told efficiently through brief and sometimes crude language.

Truth: Good intentions that include fervent action can still yield mixed results when there isn't a bit of good forethought.

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