Best Supporting Actor 2007: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War

Philip Seymour Hoffman received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Gust Avrakotos in Charlie Wilson's War.

Charlie Wilson's War depicts the efforts of  congressman Charlie Wilson to bring U.S. aid to Afghanistan against the Soviet Union.

Philip Seymour Hoffman aside from his first scene where he fights with another CIA official Hoffman basically plays the role of the main CIA operative helping Charlie Wilson, in an almost completely dead pan fashion. Where many of the actors really play much of their characters in a rather obtuse fashion, Hoffman is far more effective by downplaying his part in this fashion fairly effectively.

In his first scene Hoffman establishes Gust as a fellow who speaks his mind, and hates stupid people. After that scene he establishes himself as rather intelligent man, who always offers solutions and ideas about problems in a very low key, and a rather dead pan fashion. Hoffman stays consistent, and believable in this way, he always clearly shows really that he is the smartest guy in the room no matter what room that happens to be.

This is not a great performance, or an overly complex performance, but Hoffman finds the right way to play the character and stays with it as he should. He was the character I found the most interesting in the film, and managed to sell the dialogue that is always attempting to be witty in some way the best because of his deadpan approach. Hoffman never overacts the part, and although this is not amazing performance or role even Hoffman makes Gust the best part of the film, even if that is not saying all that much.