Charlie Wilson, The True Story of

 

Story:

Charlie Wilson was a Texas congressman who became part of an unbelievable stunt in which he helped funnel more than $300 million into a covert effort to fund Afghanistan's war against the Soviet Union. Going beyond the Hollywood dramatization Charlie Wilson's War, this eye-opening film details the whole shocking story of Wilson's involvement in the scheme, along with CIA agent Gust Avrakotos and socialite Joanne Herring (NetFlix).

Review:

Sadly, I spent most of the documentary fighting with the notion that the film was terrible because it was catering too much to the viewers of the story's 2007 fictional film adaptation starring Tom Hanks.  I came to the conclusion finally that this is a somewhat decent description of Charlie Wilson's attempts to help the rebellion in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union but it lacks a lot in its execution. What's obvious from the start is the film was made for television.  Anyone hoping to see a superbly made documentary backed up by a strong sense of research, truthfulness and an artistic vision will be let down if they don't accept that this documentary wasn't produced to be put into the running for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards. Clunky editing, commercial breaks built into the video, and sensationalized bits of narration leading up to those pauses in the action all lower the film's ability to convey its message as effectively as possible.  Other than that, though, the film is very well researched and boasts a very diverse list of shots and elements. The variety of interviews from people who were there living it adds nice extra depth to the documentary but I couldn't shake the presence of famed screenwriter and West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin.  Unlike Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts in the film), CIA operative Gust Avrakotos, and Wilson himself, Sorkin wasn't really there for any of the story when it happened and he took time and importance away from the multi-national cast of characters who lived through it, which included Afghani fighters and Soviet soldiers. It's not that Sorkin isn't an entirely truthful source, but it made me wonder why anyone would need to get the "real" back-story from the guy who was likely the first in the movie making process to add fiction to the real life story?  He had valid points to make but I would have rather heard them from someone else...actually anyone else. In the end, it was nice that the film details some of the direct aspects of legacy of Charlie Wilson's War, as well as how the Soviet exit from Afghanistan did help establish a path into the September 11 attacks, but the brief few minutes they spent on it didn’t save the entire film. Maybe instead of renting the DVD, any potentially interested viewers should simply settle on catching some of it when it's on television one day.

Reviewed by Ryan Pollyea for Documentary Film Online on June 15, 2009

In Conclusion: