Happy New Year to my reader.....whoever you are.
We went to see Charlie Wilson's War on Sunday afternoon. I went with a little trepidation as I'd just read the Book by George Crile which was very well written or should I say documented. Films oft have a problem living up to their literary basis - but the screenplay for CWW was excellent, making the story digestable for the non-readers of the book but sewing together the main parts of it.
Some license was taken with who got introduced when but other than that it was a great story. It also makes a great point regarding the US fighting wars through guerrilla factions, funding them, arming them, training them all covertly - then as these people don't know where the 'aid' is coming from turn on their be
neficiaries.It also shows that the 'get in, win and get out' strategy might sometimes work in the 'moment' as a victory but if you get out too fast without rebuilding what you've helped destroy the situation can come back and bite you on the ass!
As Charlie Wilson actually said about the whole thing - "....then we fucked up the end game", in that the USA was happy to fund guns and ammunition and train the Muj to make IED's (yes, bicycle bombs and the like were all part of the training the CIA doled out) but when it came to a few million to rebuild schools and infrastructure the USA lost interest and moved on to the Balkans.
I wholeheartedly recommend Charlie Wilson's War and it squeezes in at number 2 for my films of 2007 - just pipped by the excellent Cronenberg film, Eastern Promises.
I also just saw on DVD Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End....... too long, too much, too many sub plots - great trilogy that I hope will not be added to.
Next week I plan to see both I Am Legend and Sweeney Todd and maybe National Treasure and that will it for my 2007 films.
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