Politics = Fun

Oh dear. Last night I dreamt of producing. I don't think that's a good sign.

Anyhow, because my brain is fried and I'm stressed and the world was coming down oh-so-slowly on my shoulders, I decided to treat myself to the cinema. Not sure that a political drama was the best choice, but off I went to see Charlie Wilson's War anyway.

It entertained me. I'm always rubbish at these review type things, but I'll try. The film managed the rare feat of making politics fun and funny and understandable.

Tom Hanks was very good, but Tom Hanks is always very good. A character in the film describes Charlie as 'easy to like' and this sums up Tom Hanks for me. He comes across as a nice guy and he is in some of my favourite films, but the guy doesn't have 'edge'. He needs to play a villain. Or a drug addict.

Also, I still think his best performance was in a little-known film called 'Punchline' which I brought for £2.50. He plays a stand-up comedian that breaks down on stage. Acting genius!

I don't like Julia Roberts but she was barely in the film and she was playing a character that we aren't meant to like, so I guess it's alright. I'll give this to her though; she looks good in a bikini for a forty year old.

And Philip Seymour Hoffman is just amazingly funny at playing angry people. He stole the film with his tiny angry role!

Oh, the film also had my new favourite actress, after I saw her in Enchanted, in it. Amy Adams! I like her. She is pretty.

The writing was spot-on (What you'd expect from the writer of 'The West Wing') and the directing was passable. I was slightly concerned that they played the shooting down of Russian helicopters as a slapstick scene, but maybe that was what they were going for.

It also had a real downer ending, but it is based on a true story, so I guess you can't expect butterflies and roses.

Well, anyway, I left a little bit more educated about political history and in a real mood to watch so more fast-talking political drama. So I rented the West Wing, having only seen a few episodes before.

The show is great. It is exactly the way the the world of politics should be run. People should walk quickly down a corridor, make decisions, share a quick quip and continue on their merry way. No sitting around in Parliament, arguing your case. If you want to argue, you better have a razor wit and argue in that person's office.

But once again, life isn't like the world I see on my TV. Things aren't neatly wrapped up in forty minutes.

And politics is boring.

:)