Although it seems somewhat unlikely 'Charlie Wilson's War' is, apparently, based on a true story.
Released at the weekend 'Charlie Wilson's War' stars Tom Hanks as the title character, a US congressman from Texas who found the wherewhital to arm the people of Afghanistan in their fight against a brutal Russian invasion.
Congressman Charlie Wilson is a fun-loving bachelor who has a very soft spot for the ladies - he only has very young, very attractive ladies working in his office and, early on, he finds himself holding a business meeting in a jacuzzi with a number of strippers.
When Charlie's friend Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) - the seventh wealthiest woman in Texas - asks him to go to Pakistan to see for himself the camps of Afghan refugees, and to hear about the Russian invasion of Afghanistan he knows something has to be done.
He also knows that the United States can't (directly) get involved as this would start a third world war between the US and Russia.
With the help of disillusioned and downtrodden CIA agent, Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Wilson goes about finding out all he can about what the Afghan rebellion need to fight against the might of the Russian military.
When Gust and Charlie first meet the former has to repeatedly leave the room while Charlie, and his staff ('Charlie's Angels' if you will), try to deal with soon to be published allegations that the Congressman took cocaine in a limo.
On returning to the office Gust advises him to check the limo driver's story - it turns out he has listened to the whole episode via a concealed bug on a scotch bottle - never trust the CIA.
Through a seat on the Defence Committee, and the fact he knows the committee chairman, Charlie is confident he can get the necessary funding to buy enough high quality weapons to fight the Russians in this 'covert' war.
Initial funding of $1 million to fund covert ops. turns into $40 million then into half a billion dollars thanks to Charlie Wilson and his friends.
Charlie knows what they have to do - they have to 'shoot down the helicopters' - and thanks to Gust and 'three other guys' they soon have the right arms going, by a convoluted route, into the right hands.
Somehow, through a number of visits to the Middle East, Charlie and Co manage to get Pakistan, Israel and Saudi Arabia all supporting this secret war and making sure none of the weapons could ever be traced by to Charlie or, worse still, to America.
At times very cynical, and at times very funny, 'Charlie Wilson's War' is a highly entertaining film about a war that never, officially, happened.
Despite his failings - women and scotch - Charlie Wilson is portrayed as a patriot who can't bear to know about what's happening in Afghanistan and do nothing about it.
It may take his socially aware, incredibly well connected and rather attractive female friend to point him in the right direction. But, after a few favours and a bit of prodding, she knows Charlie will always do the right thing, and get the job done.
It's refreshing to see Tom Hanks cast in a role where he isn't the clean cut, good guy from the start. And although Charlie Wilson may turn into a hero (or into 'Tom Hanks') near the picture's end it doesn't diminish from either the story, or the enjoyment, of 'Charlie Wilson's War'.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is a joy as the foul-mouthed CIA agent who gets many of the best lines and who, definitely, gets all the best scenes - an early scene where he has a protracted argument with his superior which ends in him breaking his superior's office window (again) is one of the best cinematic scenes I've watched in a long time.
'Charlie Wilson's War' seeks to highlight how, in the late 1980s, America helped, and armed, the Mujahadeen (Afghan freedom fighters) so they could win the war against the Russians. And they did win this war - thanks to Charlie.
