When war was fun

"Charlie Wilson's War" comes from quite the pedigree of filmmakers. Mike Nichols ("The Graduate," "Postcards From the Edge") directs a script by Aaron Sorkin (writer of "The West Wing"). The film also unites a certain pair of Hollywood royalty for the first time ever (Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, for those of you who have been in hibernation). While the movie may not be the movie to end all movies that its combination of creative forces suggests, it's still an interesting look at modern history.\nBased on a true story, "Charlie Wilson's War" tells how Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks), on the urging of his rich, socialite friend Joanne Herring (Roberts) and with the help of CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), manages to supply Afghani rebels with weapons to fight off the Soviets in the early 1980s. This occurs without the U.S. government "officially" getting involved, all while Wilson is under investigation for a drug-and-prostitution scandal.\nThe script is pure Sorkin: fast-paced, quick-witted political dialogue shot back and forth. Nichols nicely frames the constant flow of conversation, never making it feel too constricted, even if this occasionally means resorting to the Sorkin "Studio 60" method of talking while walking down hallways. The movie also wisely branches away from just Washington and includes many scenes in Afghani refugee camps to show why Wilson and his cohorts feel compelled to get involved. The human suffering both balances and contrasts nicely with the upper-class political banter.\nThe always-likeable Hanks does a fine job playing the sleazy Wilson, who enjoys the occasional nose candy and only hires hot 20-somethings as secretaries. Hoffman is dead-on as always; and although her role isn't as large as the movie's marketing campaign would like you to believe, Roberts gets the job done, even if her accent is occasionally a bit more Katharine Hepburn than Texas twang.\nUnfortunately, the film is cut off too soon. When American aid in Afghanistan ends, so does the movie, and despite the fact that it's briefly shown that this angered Wilson, it seems that he doesn't lose too much sleep over it. Five or 10 additional minutes could have easily answered any remaining questions. By remaining in the '80s, Nichols and Sorkin allow the film to suggest briefly that American aid led to Sept. 11, without getting themselves in too much hot water.\nThe film has pulled in five Golden Globe nods, including Best Motion Picture -- Comedy or Musical. And though it's an entertaining film, "Knocked Up," "Once," and "Waitress" all deserved that spot more.