Monday, June 2, 2008
Charlie Wilson's War
Some friends and I watched Charlie Wilson's War over the weekend. It was terrific and I'm not at all sure why it only rates 7.5 (out of 10) at imdb. There are some slightly scary circuitous and diatribe-esque discussion threads there but unless you like to read various levels of lunacy and bad spelling, just ignore them. Anyway, the movie is better than most of the current movies I've seen but, then again, I'm mainly a fan of movies driven by plots and characters that make logical and emotional sense so my judgment may be impaired according to some points of view.
I read the book about six months ago so I was curious as to how all the thousands of personalities, passions, points of view, events and mere thoughts could be culled from 500+ pages into a movie that wouldn't run ten hours and put everyone to sleep. What's amazing is that they got the important people, facts and stories in, and managed to convey what I believe is at the story's heart: the conviction that a few passionate people can get big things done as long as they are determined and willing enough to play the "games" of politics and inner-circle dealing. Realizing that an awful lot of things happen that way, one wonders why inner circle politicians don't get more done, after seeing this movie.
And I do not think, by the way, that Charlie and Gust caused the events of 9-11-2001. To me that's like saying that rapist attack women because they wear miniskirts, or that husbands burtalize wives when they defend their self-respect. Those who carried out 9-11 had been memorizing their lines and running tech rehearsals for quite a while, long before all this, and it might just have happened sooner but for Charlie and Gust but it certainly wasn't retaliation or a logical outcome.
Anyway, this is absorbing and provocative. Read and/or watch and let's talk.....
I read the book about six months ago so I was curious as to how all the thousands of personalities, passions, points of view, events and mere thoughts could be culled from 500+ pages into a movie that wouldn't run ten hours and put everyone to sleep. What's amazing is that they got the important people, facts and stories in, and managed to convey what I believe is at the story's heart: the conviction that a few passionate people can get big things done as long as they are determined and willing enough to play the "games" of politics and inner-circle dealing. Realizing that an awful lot of things happen that way, one wonders why inner circle politicians don't get more done, after seeing this movie.
And I do not think, by the way, that Charlie and Gust caused the events of 9-11-2001. To me that's like saying that rapist attack women because they wear miniskirts, or that husbands burtalize wives when they defend their self-respect. Those who carried out 9-11 had been memorizing their lines and running tech rehearsals for quite a while, long before all this, and it might just have happened sooner but for Charlie and Gust but it certainly wasn't retaliation or a logical outcome.
Anyway, this is absorbing and provocative. Read and/or watch and let's talk.....
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