Plot: What’s it about?
Charlie Wilson’s War is one of those movies that was released just in time to be eligible for the Academy Awards. It’s got a great cast with three Oscar winners (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour-Hoffman), a storied director in Mike Nichols and a rather interesting storyline as well. So what’s not to like? Not much. Nichols, who has helmed two of my favorite movies in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate certainly hasn’t lost his touch behind the camera. And, lest we forget, also took yet another turn at politics a decade ago with the entertaining Primary Colors. The collaboration of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts was an interesting twist as well. For as long as these two powerhouses have been in the public eye, they’ve yet to actually star in a movie together. And, let’s face it, timing is everything and in an election year it’s a nice change of pace to reflect back on a time when things weren’t so needlessly complex. Or were they?
Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is a charismatic congressman from Texas who loves the finer things in life. He’s divorced, loves his booze and has the innate ability to bed just about any woman he so desires. His district requires very few things of him, mainly they just want their “guns and churches” according to Wilson. However, Charlie’s eyes are opened when he takes a trip to Afghanistan and sees the conditions that the people live in. Facing the threat of the Soviets with little more than sticks and stones to fight them with, Wilson embarks on a crusade to help the Afghanistan’s fight oppression. And Charlie Wilson is one of the few that can do it. With the help of a rebel CIA agent (Phillip Seymour-Hoffman) and the funding of a Texas millionaire (Julia Roberts), Wilson has the pull, the charm and the resources to supply a country with enough arms to successfully fight off an entire country.
I have to admit that I really enjoyed Charlie Wilson’s War and even the usually buggy Julia Roberts does give a pretty decent performance. Hanks isn’t necessarily at the top of this game, but he’s reliable and tries to exude as much confidence as he can in the role. The real scene-stealer is Phillip Seymour-Hoffman who was nominated for yet another Oscar for his role as Gust Avrakotos. Hoffman seems to have the quick wit and banter with some of his co-stars and the dry, dead-pan sense of humor that really gives the role some, pardon the pun, character. I have no idea how historically accurate the movie is, but based on my limited readings, this movie does hit pretty close to home. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is back in form from his West Wing and A Few Good Men days and it’s so nice when a cast works as well as it does here. In an election year we need all the levity we can get and this one fits the bill very nicely.
Video: How does it look?
The new 4K release of Charlie Wilson’s War brings Mike Nichols’ entertaining political drama into sharper focus while preserving the film’s unmistakable 1980’s look and feel. Shout! Studios’ new 4K restoration, sourced from the original film elements and approved by cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt, gives the presentation a welcome upgrade. The 2160p transfer, enhanced with Dolby Vision, delivers improved clarity, more refined textures, and greater depth while retaining the natural film grain that gives the movie its authentic cinematic character. Colors appear rich and balanced, skin tones remain natural, and the added high dynamic range brings more nuance to shadows and highlights. Rather than imposing an overly polished modern appearance, this new transfer respects the film’s original visual style.
Audio: How does it sound?
Charlie Wilson’s War isn’t really about the audio, in fact I was so interested in the film that I really nearly forgot that I was supposed to be listening for anything that would blow me away audio-wise. It’s a fairly standard DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 mix with very little, if any, surround effects that really bring out the mix. The main draw is the dialogue of which there is a lot and though we get to hear Julia Roberts’ accent slip in an out, it’s not a bad mix at all. As I’ve said in previous reviews, this suits its purpose here plain and simple an that’s about all we can ask for.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Unfortunately the supplements are the same we’ve had since this film debuted back in 2007. It’s nice to have them, but anything new would have been appreciated.
- The Making of Charlie Wilson’s War – This is your run-of-the-mill featurette and the more intriguing “Who is Charlie Wilson” with interviews with the man himself as well as Mike Nichols, Tom Hanks and Joanne Herring (Roberts’ character).
- Who is Charlie Wilson – We get a look at some behind the scenes footage as well an insight into what makes Wilson tick and how he can still attract the ladies.
The Bottom Line
When you’ve got a film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour-Hoffman it’s hard to mess things up. I think the filmmakers thought this one would be a bit bigger than it was (the film was only nominated for one Academy Award – Phillip Seymour-Hoffman for Best Supporting Actor who lost to Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men). Regardless, we’ve got essentially a new transfer here so if you’ve been wanting to see this film in all its 4K glory – the wait is over.
