★★ 

Watched 02 May, 2020

A movie with Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams amongst others directed by Mike Nichols (one of the few winners of an EGOT – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and written by Aaron Sorkin should be a recipe for a masterpiece, but Charlie Wilson’s War is one of the most mediocre films I’ve ever watched. The dialogue is brilliant as usual from Sorkin but the screenplay lacks connective tissue linking different plot-points together. The film doesn’t say anything meaningful or leave an impact on you in any way. It makes light out of a pretty dark situation in a way that seems distasteful. You can also see how rusty Sorkin is, after having left film for a 13 year stint in television. Tom Hanks as usual is brilliant but it is a bit jarring to see America’s wholesome sweetheart play a playboy drug-user who happens to be a Congressman. Philip Seymour Hoffman is easily the standout performance in this movie. The energy he brings to it is phenomenal. It’s a very forgettable movie, I watched it 30 minutes ago and I’ve already forgotten a lot of it. I was’t impressed by this film at all considering what this crew is capable of.