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Worlds Apart
Charlie Wilson's War
Review by Ross Anthony

This is a pleasant enough film, but I simply didn't see what all the awards talk is about.

It's involving, even engaging, but not on a deeply emotional level. In some ways reminiscent of "Forrest Gump," CWW maintains a cuteness in the face of serious circumstances. The humor is done well, but the serious edge feels somewhat underdeveloped, under affecting.

There are certainly moments of genius. I love the scene where Wilson alternates his meeting with Gust, the CIA agent, regarding the pending international crisis and with his group of busty secretaries about his own personal crisis. Hoffman really makes that work. In fact, though I'm not really a Hoffman fan – he's fantastic in this film.

That said, the production also sports scenes riddled with exposition, sometimes redundantly so. For instance, in the opening scene Charlie sits naked in a spa with two strippers and a playmate, in the same room people are getting high, yet the those scripting the dialogue of the film still seem obliged to tell us in words that Charlie is a bit of a party guy.

Truly, it's a B movie, but it does manage to do something of import. In a light-hearted way it displays the international ignorance many Americans boast regarding the world we live in. Hopefully, this will widen some otherwise rather narrow views. At the same time, the film tempers its own fire (more or less at the last minute) with the sobering realization that lasting solutions are not always so simply found.

Overall grade, just barely a B+.

-- Book Contest --


  • Charlie Wilson's War. Copyright © 2007.
  • Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty, Om Puri.
  • Directed by Mike Nichols.
  • Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Based on the book by George Crile.
  • Produced by Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks at Universal/Relativity/Participant/Playtone.

Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2009. In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Ross Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Ross has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over thirty countries. He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (coast to coast). To get signed books by Ross or schedule him to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186.


Last Modified: Wednesday, 19-Dec-2007 11:43:06 PST