Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Argo


Reviewed by Ethan Wasdovitch

It is almost impossible to comprehend that Ben Affleck is the man responsible for this film (let alone the equally impressive films The Town and Gone Baby Gone).  Affleck has gone from a nearly-laughable product of Hollywood (remember Gigli?) to one of the best directors working today.  In short, Argo is probably his best film yet and is a step in the right direction that proves that Affleck can tackle a genre outside of crime thrillers.  While not a revelation or a masterpiece, Argo is awfully close to both.
Based on an incredible and inspiring true series of events, Argo tells the story of six Americans who avoided being captured in Iran in 1979 when Ayatollah Khomeini’s new reign over the country caused a dangerous backlash against Western ideology (particularly American culture).  Tony Mendez (played with astonishing finesse by Affleck himself) devises an idea to get the six hiding hostages out of Iran before they are found and possibly publicly executed.  His plot involves creating a fake film production that will trick Iranian officials into believing the six hostages are part of a Canadian film crew in order to safely escort them out of the country.  This rather complicated story is presented very clearly and is never once confusing.  Many who have a lack of knowledge on the historical event itself should have no problem following the story.
One of the strongest aspects of the film is the cast.  Ben Affleck has an uncanny ability to assemble a very strong cast that aids in the pacing and aesthetics of the movie.  Other standouts in the film are Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman (Arkin providing some of the best lines in the film.  “Argo fuck yourself!”).  It should be noted that Argo, despite its dead-serious material, is surprisingly funny and easy to watch.  Dialogue is snappy and humorous, and the actors are talented enough to make everything believable.  This is no small feat, and Argo’s two hour runtime feels more like an hour as a result.
The last hour of Argo is undoubtably the main reason to see the film.  Edited with incredible suspense and passion, the final part of the movie will have you grasping your armrest and holding your breath in anticipation.  A true emotional bond is created, especially pertaining to the six American hostages.  You don’t want them to get caught, and you will wince whenever they have a close encounter with the forces that are working against them.  I was actually quite surprised with the amount of emotion in this movie, especially towards the end.  Without giving anything away, it is safe to say that many will be moved to tears by the time Argo comes to a close.
Having said all of that, Argo has a set of problems that set it back slightly.  The only major complaint I have about this movie is that Affleck has not yet created his own visual flair as a director.  In many ways, Argo is simply another superbly crafted political drama with many exciting moments and boatloads of excellent acting.  However, Affleck has yet to make a film that “feels” like a Ben Affleck film.  This is a minor criticism and this being his third film, I’m sure he can do nothing but develop as a director.  A gripe that some people will inevitably have with Argo is the lack of action in the traditional sense.  This is not a shoot-em-up, running through the allies thriller.  Argo is very dialogue heavy and thick with constant disagreements and discourse.  The action, however, is the the words.  It’s impossible to say that Argo is not exciting, because (as previously stated) this film has some of the most intense moments in recent memory.  I fear that many people (having seen the exciting trailer) are expecting more face-offs with bad guys and bullet dodging.  You won’t find any of that in Argo.  What you’ll find instead is a very intelligent and emotional thriller that is driven by dialogue and smart framing.
While director Ben Affleck has yet to discover his visual tag as a director, he has made another great movie.  Argo is his best work yet (as a director and an actor) and will definitely please history buffs and fans of political thrillers.  Hell, even general audiences should have no problem loving this movie.  Argo is not a revelatory motion picture, but it is a highly commendable one.  An impeccable cast, razor sharp script, and glowing emotional resonance makes Argo one of the best films of 2012 so far.  Expect to see this one nominated for a slew of Academy Awards, and don’t be surprised if Argo takes home the award for best picture of the year.

9/10

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