I understand from what I have read that Tom Hanks has a reputation for being a stickler to detail, and he’s a bit of a control freak. In which case, I wonder who does his quality control for films, he has made very few duds in his career – Da Vinci Code anyone?
However, he has made some superb films – and Charlie Wilsons War – released on the 11th January in the UK is no exception. It is a drama based on a true story, from a book by George Crile about a Texan senator (Hanks) with a reputation as a hard drinking, womanising Texan, who gets involved in the background to the Afghan/Russian war. Assisted by a wealthy Texan socialite (Julia Roberts) and a rogue CIA agent played by the masterful Philip Seymour-Hoffman he embarks on a political campaign to supply Afghan militia with the weapons to fight the Soviet Union and hopefully influence the Cold War.
Truth is often stranger than fiction – and this is such a case, where the real-life story is far more interesting than anything that could be dreamt up. The characters are larger than life and great to watch, and the story has eerie echoes that are still being played out across Global conflicts. The exchanges between Hanks and Seymour-Hoffman are electric, each one at the top of their game.
Incidentally – there is a masterful cameo appearance by one of my favourite actors – Ken Stott (Messiah, Rebus) who plays an Israeli agent involved in the trafficking of arms.
This is a must watch film – the 90 odd minutes flies by, and the acting is truly brilliant.
He did the Jonathon Ross show on Friday and was superb on it.
I saw that, was very funny – including his strange obsession with typewriters!