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Charlie Wilson's War [2007] | ![Charlie Wilson's War [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TF-n3JrtL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Director: Mike Nichols
Actors: Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ned Beatty
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Category: DVD
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £5.95
You Save: £14.04 (70%)
New (22) Used (6) from £5.95
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 577
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5050582550474
ASIN: B0014JGFD2
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: May 5, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Factory sealed. All orders will be dispatched within 24 hours. Most orders arrive the next working day (in UK) B
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Overlooked in the end at the Academy Awards, and not ratcheting up the box office you'd perhaps expect of a Tom Hanks movie, Charlie Wilson's War is nonetheless a challenging, entertaining and underappreciated film, that deserves to find a bigger audience on DVD. Starring Hanks in the title role, the strength of Charlie Wilson's War is in some talented people doing what they do best. Hanks eases into his part, as the Texas congressman who uses his extensive contacts book and unorthodox nature (which is putting it mildly) to initiate and wage a secret war. Alongside him is Julia Roberts on fine form in a small part, and the excellent Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who is at the heart of the film's best, and funniest, moments. Gluing Charlie Wilson's War together is an assured turn behind the camera from veteran director Mike Nichols. Nichols, still best known for The Graduate, is confident enough to let the comedy in a deathly serious story play out, while not shirking the drama either. It's a tender balancing act, that only flusters a little near the end. It's not a perfect film, and the tone may be a little uneasy for some. But Charlie Wilson's War is, nonetheless, a very strong piece of American cinema, that has questions to ask, and manages to entertain at the same time. Well worth discovering. --Jon Foster
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Great film - bad DVD July 29, 2008
Carol Haynes (North Yorkshire UK)
OK let's get it straight I really enjoyed the film. The start of the film was a bit slow and confused (I really wasn't that interested to explore Charlie's predilections for nudes in spar tubs) but once the reason for the story is made known it is gripping and moves at a pace that keeps you interested and ultimately moved until the end. The great thing was showing what a few individuals can achieve in the face of international lethargy and disinterest.
It was good to meet the real Charlie in the extras but why did that have to effectively have a 'Making Of ...' and then a shorter 'Meet Charlie Wilson' that has identical footage of Charlie and nothing new?
So a good film so why only 2 stars. As other people have pointed out I absolutely hate this DVD - you have to sit through nearly 4 minutes of a UNICEF campaign for Aids in Africa. There is no option to skip or fast forward through it. Then you get nearly a minute of loud noise about video piracy (which I object to as I just bought the damn thing - why treat ME as a pirate when pirates can easily strip the crap) and then to add insult to injury there is a further copyright notice. OK we finally get to the film but for heaven's sake don't press the menu button on your handset during the film or you have to endure the whole lot again - it doesn't even go straight to the menu.
What is the net effect of all this - people will copy the DVD just to remove the crap so they can watch the film in peace. This totally negates the charity appeal stuff and the copyright notices and turns users in to copyright infringers because of the publishers own stupidity!
Don't get me wrong I thing publicising the work of UNICEF in Africa is laudable and I wouldn't mind it being on the disc (even though the disc has nothing to do with UNICEF or Africa or Aids) provided it is in the extras section and is optional.
when there's nothing else on... July 23, 2008
William Rycroft (London, UK)
Ok, so it was Tuesday night, there wasn't anything on and this was on pay-per-view. Based on the true story of one congressman's efforts in fighting a covert war in Afghanistan it is fairly lighthearted fun which I will probably have entirely forgotten by the time I've finished writing this.
Tom Hanks plays the man from Texas on Capitol Hill, first seen in a hot-tub with strippers and a Playmate whilst cocaine does the rounds. Almost never without a glass of whiskey he isn't the obvious facilitator of funding for the mujahadeen in Afghanistan. The woman pushing his buttons is the wealthy and anti-communist socialite Julia Roberts. Together with the guidance of CIA man Philip Seymour Hoffman, Wilson brings together Israel, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and America in an unlikely alliance against the Soviets. Hanks is on reliable form enjoying the character of a man who's hiring policy in the office is 'you can teach them to type but you can't teach them to grow t*ts'. Roberts does well in a small role but most of the laughs come from Hoffman whose belligerent spy deals in the uncomfortable truth from behind his ever present shades. The film deals with the politics pretty lightly and seems to take quite a long time to make a fairly simple point. It lacks the skill employed in another Hanks film 'Catch Me If You Can' which made a real entertainment from the life of fraudster Frank Abagnale. Not to worry though, it filled a couple of hours nicely enough.
 Not a comment on the film itself... July 8, 2008
F. Merritt (United Kingdom)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
... My objection is to being compelled to watch a UNICEF fundraising appeal. You cannot skip or fastforward through it, and it goes on for several minutes. I make no comment about UNICEF or its work, but I take very strong exception to being forced, in my own home, to watch something anicllary to the film I wanted to see. I have never encountered this on a disc before, and I hope it is not a sign of things to come, no matter how worthy the cause may or may not be.
Uninvolving June 23, 2008
S. Smith (UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I sat, I watched and went away with no emotion, no feelings and no opinion on this film. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are two of my favourite actors and both act their roles very well indeed but the story seems very condensed and while I understand the cold war is big topic to tell in a film perhaps a little more depth would have made me understand and enjoy this film a little more.
However I have to mention something another reviewer talked about and that's the awful charity advert with Gwyneth Paltrow in it. Every time you watch the dvd you must endure a five minute charity advert. You can not skip it ever nor fast forward it and I accidentally pressed root instead of menu when I needed to pause the film and I had to watch the entire five minute ad again! I wonder how much of our charity money was given so that the ad could take place.
Apart from that, ok film but nothing special, ruined further by stupid dvd features.
The Cold War, now available in Primary colours... June 14, 2008
Mr. Stephen Kennedy (Doha, Qatar)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
So what do you know - it's possible to make a cheerful movie about the war...
Actually, the reason this movie feels so light and cheerful is that it is really about Charlie Wilson the man rather than the war. The movie tells the (based on true) story of the Texas Congressman who played a pivotal role in getting substantial funding to the Mujahedin in Afghanistan, eventually leading to the forced withdrawal of the Russians, thereby paving the way for the downfall of the Soviet Empire - as told by this movie at least. The interesting part is that Charlie Wilson was a womanizing party animal who was the last person many would have thought would tackle this issue.
The cast fit the bill perfectly - Tom Hanks surprises as the drinking Congressman, sharing a hot tub with strippers doing coke.. but retains the naivete that seems to have allowed him to say `why not' when faced with the question of increasing funds to Afghan freedom fighters. The woman asking the questions is a rich, headstrong Texan woman played by Julia Roberts, and the man in the CIA actually getting the job done and providing the technical explanations, is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
It's shot well, in bright colours and plenty of lighting so we never have a dark moment, and acting is perfectly fine throughout. There is even just a touch of acknowledgement at the end that things were not so straightforward, and a warning that with the Russians gone, and without funding rebuilding infrastructure and schools, the `crazies' would inevitably take the leading role. As of course they did.
On the downside, this is really a very superficial look at the issues, and a rather one-sided look at events in history. On the plus side, it's a fun and entertaining introduction to the man and the history, that at 1hr 38 min never outlasts its welcome.
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