When first we meet Texan Congressman Charlie Wilson in Charlie Wilson's War (Universal; $29.98; R), he's naked in a Vegas hot tub with coke-sniffing strippers who find his sudden fascination with images on a nearby television puzzling, given the amenities they offer.
Wilson is transfixed by a 1980 news report on the plight of Afghanistan, which has been invaded by the Soviet Union. Soon, Wilson (Tom Hanks), with the help of a wealthy Houston socialite (a somewhat miscast Julie Roberts) and a coarse CIA operative (Philip Seymour Hoffman) covertly funds and arms Afghanistan rebels -- but not without a cost.
Director Mike Nichols has an affinity for this sort of political storytelling and, aided by a sure-footed script from The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson's War tells a serious and timely story with intelligence, a sense of humor and refreshing brevity. (In a world where a Speed Racer movie tops two hours, this film's 97 minute-running time is a marvel).
The movie is worth catching on DVD for its valuable supplemental material. We meet the real Wilson, a total Texan if ever there were one, and socialite Joanne Herring, who both talk about what they did to alter history. They also seem to be enjoying their visits to the film set, cracking jokes with their screen counterparts and Nichols. Fans of The West Wing will also enjoy Sorkin's on-camera interviews.
`SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'
Saturday Night Live -- The Complete Third Season 1977-1978 (Universal; $69.98; out May 13) featured the Not Ready for Prime Time Players (Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Garrett Morris, et al.) in often inspired mode. Though hit and miss in quality, the show at this point featured several sketches that still define SNL: the Coneheads; Belushi's Samurai warrior; frequent guest host Steve Martin's pairing with Dan Aykroyd as Two Wild and Crazy Guys.
It's also fun to watch the season's musical guests to see them when they still had hair. These include Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett (performing with a broken leg), Jackson Browne (the only one who still, somehow, has hair), the late Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Libby Titus. In his introduction, guest host Hugh Hefner predicted Titus would be the next big thing. Good thing he stuck to publishing instead of predicting pop fortunes.
