<br>Hollywood is being inundated with war movies at the moment, with film-makers starting to deal with 9-11 and its aftermath. The only problem is that almost all are disappointing in the box office, with films like The Kingdom, In the Valley of Elah, and Rendition, all underperforming to audiences who are more interested in The Game Plan or Tyler Perry. However, if there’s one film to break this curse, it’s Charlie Wilson’s War.

Based on a true story, the film concerns the attempts of one man, a wealthy Texan congressman, who funded a CIA covert operation to aid Afghanistan in its war against the imposing Soviet Union.

It won’t be the cast of money-magnets Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts (with support from the excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman) that will ensure this film’s box office, and award ceremony, success, but rather its distinct tone. The trailer above, for example, has wisely focused on the humour of the situation, contrasting with the drabness of the other films mentioned above. It almost feels like a sitcom at times, with some quick jabs at government competance and foreign cultures. It will be interesting to see how the film delves into the motivations of Wilson (was he a patriot fighting the “Red Threat”, or was he interested in oil?), as well as how deep the critique of the US government is (including comparisons with its present state). With a director as diverse and as erratic as Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Catch 22, Closer, and What Planet are you From?), this film could either be a frivilous mess of a drama, or the best war film of the year.

Charlie Wilson’s War hits the US on Christmas Day, and storms through Europe from January.