What surprises me most about the true story of former Texas congressman Charlie Wilson and his daring covert operations the led to the demise of the Soviet Union’s presence in Afghanistan is that it wasn’t made into a movie until 2008. The real story underneath Charlie Wilson’s War is one of the greatest accomplishments of the 20th Century and one of the most significant events in American history despite its clandestine nature. However, it’s also a story of great irony in that what sometimes comes with enormous success can unexpectedly lead to failure on a deeper level.

Back in the 1980s, one of the top headline stories that dominated the mainstream news airwaves was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ongoing clash between Russian forces and the Afghani resistance. When I think about it now after watching Charlie Wilson’s War, it’s obvious the American public didn’t have a clue as to what was really taking place overseas in a foreign and far away land.

Based on the book by journalist George Crile, adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin, and directed by Mike Nichols, Charlie Wilson’s War tells the tale of how self-assured, skirt-chasing Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) teamed up with wealthy Houston socialite Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) and free spirit CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to funnel arms to the Afghan rebels in an effort to help expel the Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Although that’s the general rundown of what actually took place, the true end game behind Wilson’s victorious efforts became nothing more than an empty footnote in the pages of history.

As an overall story, I liked Charlie Wilson’s War mostly due to my fluency with the Soviet - Afghan conflict and the covert events that took place underneath the surface. However, for those who don’t have an understanding or a certain familiarity with the true events, Charlie Wilson’s War is a big investment. Even though I knew the story going into the film, it still took about a half-an-hour to settle into Wilson’s motivation, get a sense of what was taking place, and gain some type of affinity for the main players involved. For me, it was more about being patient because I knew where the story was going. In the end, because of my patience, I felt satisfied.

However, it was a completely different experience for the person I watched the film with since she had no familiarity with the Soviet - Afghan war, didn’t understand where things were going in the set-up, had a hard time connecting the political issues, didn’t know years had passed in the story until she heard David Bowie’s "Let’s Dance" (1983-84), and largely walked away with a sense that Charlie Wilson was a remarkable man without feeling the full impact of the man’s journey and admirable reasons behind his actions. In the end, she couldn’t relate to the material and I certainly understood why. Instead of being involved with Charlie Wilson and drawn into his journey, she was nothing more than a spectator.

As you’d expect, Charlie Wilson’s War is a well acted film with the assured trifecta of Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. A great example of how Hanks and Hoffman work well with Mike Nichols is the first office meeting Charlie Wilson has with Gust Avrakotos. Nichols simultaneously reveals necessary exposition of the main plot and a scandalous sub-plot in a highly entertaining and somewhat old-school manner, as Gust is forced to leave Wilson’s office several times while Charlie’s beautiful secretaries keep him (and the audience) abreast of a breaking scandal. There is a healthy balance of eccentric humor throughout that reflects the quirky personality of the real Charlie Wilson, which works for the first half of the film. However, given how the movie wants you to buy into a number of serious issues related to the plight of Afghan refugees, which serve as an emotional turning point for Wilson and the main reason behind his efforts, much of the film’s impact gets lost for the sake of comedy. It’s a fast paced film that hits all of the necessary highlights in Wilson’s covert campaign to defeat the Soviet aggressors, but it lacks a certain depth and substance needed to realize the true potential of the story and its characters. Despite the good and bad of the film, it was great to see Ned Beatty make an appearance as Maryland Congressman Clarence "Doc" Long, who was a supporter of Wilson’s efforts to arm the Afghan resistance.

As a DVD, there’s not a lot to be had aside from the film. Still, the two features included are worthy of your time. First, "The Making of Charlie Wilson’s War" explores the various elements and factors that went into bringing the production to life with candid interviews with Tom, Hanks and Julia Roberts. It’s pretty much your standard "Making Of" but it does offer substantial insight from two of Hollywood’s biggest stars and what appealed to them most about the project, their characters, and the real Charlie Wilson. The final feature on the disc (there’s only two) is the best bang for your buck, as "Who is Charlie Wilson" gives fans an inside look at the real Charlie Wilson complete with archival footage, stills from his days as a Congressman, video from his trips to Afghanistan to meet with the Afghan rebels, footage of his maverick lifestyle in the U.S. and video interviews with Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Mike Nichols, and the real Charlie Wilson. If you loved the film, the "Who is" segment comes highly recommended.

Overall, Charlie Wilson’s War has an entertaining personality similar to its title character but fails to deliver the emotional TKO to hail it as one of the best films of 2007. It certainly does justice to the efforts of everyone involved and highlights one of the greatest accomplishments of the 20th Century. As a DVD, Charlie Wilson’s War is the perfect starting point to educate yourself on an amazing true story.