I read the book a while back, when it came out. I really liked it and I was looking forward to the movie, but I had my suspicions about it.
First was Hanks playing Wilson. Wilson should be done by a some Texas version of Roger Moore. Second, this story is really complicated. Wilson is a complex guy.
He was using his political position to cover up his playboy shenanigans, but the shenanigans were covering for his Christian support for the Mujahideen fighting for their lives against the atheist evil empire… Or was it the other way around? The guy is complex.
The story is complex. If I remember, Wilson et. al. managed to get US tax dollars to pay for Israeli made, Russian knock-off weapons, that were supposedly coming from Egypt, and funneled through Pakistan and then to the Muj.
This has all the elements for a great movie. Hell, Roberts managed to make a really good movie out of a boring court case (Erin Brockovich).
Wilson was one of the last of an era; Cristian Southern Democrat Good ‘ole Boy; a Liberal not a lefty.
I’m still going to go see the movie but I’m not holding my breath.
Hell, Victor Hansen looks more like a Charlie Wilson than Hanks does.
