Charlie Wilson's War

From the desk of The Movie Snob

Charlie Wilson's War (A-). Maybe this wasn't really an A- movie, but I just enjoyed the heck out of it. You've probably heard all about it -- Tom Hanks (That Thing You Do!) plays a Texas congressmen who is exceptional in no way except for his willingness to stick up for the people of Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion. He teams up with a Houston socialite played by Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) and a misfit CIA man played by Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), and together they put together back-alley arms deals for the mujahedin worth a billion dollars. Next thing you know, Afghanistan = the USSR's Vietnam. Hanks and Hoffman are great, and Roberts isn't annoying like she usually is. The supporting cast is also great and easy on the eyes, including Amy Adams (Enchanted), Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), and Shiri Appleby (TV's Roswell). The movie does leave you very curious to know how much is fact and how much is fiction -- from what I've heard, the real story was so unbelievable they had to tone it down for the movie.