honest portrayal

I thought Michael Caine was magnificently subtle and engaging.
I thought the film did a good job of showing the treachery of the CIA, and how the intentional policies of the U.S. led us deeper and deeper into that awful and insane war. I liked its honesty, and it's too bad some people here want to call facing reality "self-loathing." It's very healthy and ethical to loathe what is bad, wherever it is found.
That being said, the movie's not just about "evil Americans," because you could make a similar movie about any government in the world. They all have similar strategies that they employ in an effort to grasp and keep power. They all play dirty tricks, plant false stories, hurt and kill innocent people, and delude themselves. They all have "intelligence agencies" that stop at nothing to achieve their results. They all make stupid decisions that lead to horrible consequences.
They all need to be called to account, and I thought this movie did that pretty well.