Charlie Wilson's War (Mike Nichols, 2007)

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#1 Post by **Jeff** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:58 am

This looks to be next year's biggest piece of Oscar bait. Mike Nichols is directing an Aaron Sorkin script. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts star; Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams have the biggest supporting roles. Here is the first still.

tavernier · #2 Post by **tavernier** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:58 pm

Hanks and Roberts...two dreadfully underused megastars.

jon · #3 Post by **jon** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:50 pm

That's a pretty oddly composed cast.

Cinesimilitude · #4 Post by **Cinesimilitude** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:26 pm

Should we take bets on how many times the words "academy award" are used in the trailer?

flyonthewall2983 · #5 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:28 pm

That's easy, 4.

Cinesimilitude · #6 Post by **Cinesimilitude** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:34 pm

flyonthewall2983 wrote:That's easy, 4.

I'm going 5. you forget Nichols, or Adams?

#7 Post by **Matt** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:44 pm

Does Julia Roberts play a sassy Dallas socialite tranny or something? Because that's the only explanation for that wig.

Though Nichols is terribly inconsistent (Wit is probably one of the greatest and most underrated things he's ever done, Closer is an embarrassment), I'm always willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Provided Sorkin had written a script that's more like The West Wing than Studio 60, it ought to be at least entertaining.

flyonthewall2983 · #8 Post by **flyonthewall2983** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:00 pm

SncDthMnky wrote:
flyonthewall2983 wrote:That's easy, 4.
I'm going 5. you forget Nichols, or Adams?

Adams, what was she nominated for?

#9 Post by **Matt** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:11 pm

flyonthewall2983 wrote:Adams, what was she nominated for?

Best Supporting Actress, Junebug.

flyonthewall2983 · Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:23 pm

Well, I'm still standing by my answer unless she is starring as some super-heroine in one of the summer's upcoming blockbusters. That is, of course, assuming that Universal wants to put out during next Oscar season.

#11 Post by **Jeff** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:04 pm

Here is the trailer. The phrase "Academy Award Winner" isn't used once!

flyonthewall2983 · Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:36 pm

Looks interesting.

Antoine Doinel · #13 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:16 am

Jeff wrote:Here is the trailer. The phrase "Academy Award Winner" isn't used once!

No, but they may as well of announced the return of Julia Roberts' push-up bra from Erin Brokovich.

That said, it does look very interesting and it's nice to see Tom Hanks doing something a little different than his usual dramatic pose.

#14 Post by **Jeff** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:23 pm

Here is the cheesy poster, which cries out, "Attention people of the mall: Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are in this movie!"

#15 Post by **cdnchris** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:48 pm

...and some fat guy

#16 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:35 am

I kind of like that poster, it's a lot more interesting than it could have been.

Nothing · #17 Post by **Nothing** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:24 am

Tom Hanks gives us a sentimental portrayal of a fascist, what's new.

tavernier · #18 Post by **tavernier** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 3:57 pm

Nothing wrote:Tom Hanks gives us a sentimental portrayal of a fascist, what's new.

So you saw this already?

Nothing · #19 Post by **Nothing** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 4:20 pm

No, but I've read the book.

hot_locket · #20 Post by **hot_locket** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:26 pm

cdnchris wrote:...and some fat guy

I can not tell that's PSH for the life of me.

Magic Hate Ball · #21 Post by **Magic Hate Ball** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:23 am

STARRING: Bill Murry, an overdressed lesbian, and the super from Friends.

#22 Post by **cdnchris** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:19 am

Magic Hate Ball wrote:STARRING: Bill Murry...

Good God, you're right! I didn't notice that before. From that angle he's a dead ringer.

David Ehrenstein · Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:02 pm

Nothing is right. It's a lavishly produced "based on a true story" about how Julie Roberts saved the world from Communism.

Hanks plays a Congresscritter with numerous power connections and an office staffed entirely by babes with balconies you could do Shakespeare from.

The Russians are criticized for bombing innocent Afgans -- which is of course OUR game, but that's not mentioned. Likewise the Soviets are dissed for cutting the arms off innoent Afgan children. The Central American "Freedom Fghters" who Roberts' fascist socialite gets all misty-eyed when talking about, did the same. Moerover they were trained to do so at our very own "School For the Americas." But that doesn't get mentioned here either.

If there's an Oscar for "Slick Fascist Cynicism" this wins in a walk.

Dylan · #24 Post by **Dylan** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:44 pm

I believe Mike Nichols is one of our greatest-working directors, but this just doesn't interest me at all. Obviously, I'll reserve judgement until (or if) I see this, but I certainly think his immense talents could be put to much more gratifying use.

Nothing · #25 Post by **Nothing** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:47 am

The thing is, this is such an interesting/enlightening/disgusting phase in world/US history and the book and Wilson could, potentially, provide a fantastic way in - that is, if the filmmaker works to methodically undermine Crile's POV (in the manner of, say, Verhoeven's Starship Troopers) and, with Hanks on board as Wilson, that is never going to happen.

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Charlie Wilson's War (Mike Nichols, 2007)