'Charlie Wilson's War' is a winner

By J.B. Alderman
Columnist

Article Last Updated: 05/15/2008 11:26:58 AM PDT

'Charlie Wilson's War'

As a self-important congressional aide in the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to observe Rep. Charlie Wilson of Texas up close. From the way he dressed, to the way he talked, it was clear Wilson marched to the beat of his own drummer. I developed admiration for him after I was tasked to round up votes on the House floor to defend the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts. Despite coming from a staunchly conservative district, Wilson agreed to vote to protect the NEA. But Charlie Wilson won't be remembered for his support of controversial art. Instead, it was his determination to support the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invasion in the 1980s that will be his legacy and is the focus of this DVD. From his seat on the Appropriations Committee, Wilson cajoled, bullied and finagled larger and larger military expenditures to help arm the Mujahideen. Tom Hanks stars as a bit too dapper version of Wilson with Julia Roberts as an anti-Communist socialite who will stop at nothing to liberate Afghanistan. Sharp, fast-paced and insightful, "Charlie" is an authentic winner. (R: Sex, drugs, language and war themes). 1 hour and 42 minutes.

Ratings (out of 4 stars):

Overall: 3 ½ stars

Kids: N/A

Teens: 2 stars

Adults: 3 ½ stars

Seniors: 3 stars

Should you rent it? Yes - A truly engaging and realistic movie about politics and foreign policy.

class="subhead">'The Savages'

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman star as estranged, lonely, self-absorbed siblings forced to reconnect when their elderly father needs to be put into a nursing home. The acting in this film is spectacular — to the point of drawing out true empathy from the audience. Linney scored a Best Actress nomination for this role and the screenplay was also up for an Oscar. The dark themes make this best for adults only. (R: Sex and language). 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Ratings (out of 4 stars):

Overall: 3 stars

Kids: N/A

Teens: 1 star

Adults: 3 stars

Seniors: 3 stars

Should you rent it? Yes — Mature look at one family coping with aging and death.

'Sleuth'

On paper it's a winner: a classic cat and mouse thriller adapted from a ground breaking play about a young actor matching wits with the estranged husband of his lover. Even better, Michael Caine, who played the charming thespian in the 1972 film version, stars as the scorned husband in this update. But sadly, it just doesn't work. Caine and Jude Law spar nicely together and much of the rapid fire dialog stands the test of time. The rest of the DVD though is a victim of the original play's success. The first "Sleuth" was groundbreaking in its day and introduced audiences to a higher standard for a gripping plot full of twists and turns. As a result, film watchers today expect even greater levels of subterfuge that the new version just can't deliver. (R: Language). 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Ratings (out of 4 stars):

Overall: 2 stars

Kids: N/A

Teens: 2 stars

Adults: 2 stars

Seniors: 2 stars

Should you rent it? No — A remake that wasn't worth the effort.

J.B. Alderman lives in Piedmont and can be reached at jason@alderman.net.