Charlie Wilson's War

Mike Nichols: Charlie Wilson's War (US/DE 2007), screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, based on the book by George Crile, starring Tom Hanks (Rep. Charlie Wilson), Amy Adams (Bonnie Bach), Julia Roberts (Joanne Herring) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Gust Avrakotos).

Charlie Wilsonin sota / Charlie Wilsons krig.
   US / DE © 2007 Universal / MP Munich Pape. P: Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks.
   D: Mike Nichols. SC: Aaron Sorkin – based on the book (2003) Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History (later titled Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times) by George Crile. DP: Stephen Goldblatt – shot on 35 mm Kodak Vision Super 35 – 2K digital intermediate by Efilm – print Kodak Vision 1:1,85.
   Starring: Tom Hanks (Rep. Charlie Wilson), Amy Adams (Bonnie Bach), Julia Roberts (Joanne Herring), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Gust Avrakotos).
   97 min.
   Released in Finland by Finnkino, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Saliven Gustavson.
   Viewed at Kinopalatsi 1, Helsinki, 9 Feb 2008.

An intelligent political satire based on the true story of US covert involvement in the Afghan war during the Soviet invasion. Having read Steve Coll's excellent book Ghost Wars I was familiar with the figures of Charlie Wilson and Gust Avrakotos; some other characters may be fictive. The strategic weight of Afghanistan for the U.S. has been crystallized in the expression "Operation Bear Trap", that is, the trap to kill the Soviet bear. The trap worked. There is a grim postscript, though. The war was won, the peace was not. Covertly armed by the US against the USSR, the frightful Mujaheddin started a new era in world history.