'Argo' - A thrilling triumph for Affleck!
Well, while I hate to say this, I think that Ben Affleck may be just this generations Clint Eastwood. By that, I mean that he just may turn out to be one of the better actors turned director in some time. After thinking his first directorial effort 'Gone Baby Gone' was a one shot masterpiece, he followed that up three years later with 'The Town', a film that should have saw Oscar praise. Now, two years after 'The Town', Affleck surely presents us with probably the best film of the year: 'Argo'. I am hoping that his next project is sooner rather than later based on his consistent maturity and growth as a filmmaker.
There is a trick to making a film based on ACTUAL events (as opposed to INSPIRED by true events, which essentially means the only grain of truth to the story is something in the premise); how do you make a film thrilling, tense and engrossing when most of the people viewing it already know the outcome? Affleck handles this deftly by giving the film a documentary feel that is rich in detail with actors that eerily look like the people they are portraying and by sticking to the true situation rather than a fictionalisation of events. When Affleck does (as he goes for several feel good moments) the film falters a bit, but only a bit and it does not take away from the films near perfection.
'Argo' is based on the true story of CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) and his mission to free six American citizens during the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis. As the US Embassy in Iran was being overrun, these six citizens, workers within the embassy, were able to escape and remain hidden in the home of the Canadian Ambassador. As the CIA fumbles with insane plans of using bicycles to get the trapped US citizens to Turkey, Mendez, who specializes in extraction, develops the idea to pose as a Hollywood producing scouting Iran for a science fiction movie shoot and sneak the six out posing as the film crew.
Mendez partners with his old friend (and make-up artist who has helped him in past missions) John Chambers (John Goodman, as strong as always in a fantastic role); together they enlist the help of a producer, Lester Siegel (the hilarious Alan Arkin) and put together a completely believable, fake movie cover for the Iranians to buy. Amazingly so, the humor works well in the scenes shot in Hollywood bringing a much needed rest from the tension building in Iran. Affleck handles this well and his cast treats the script perfectly. Bryan Cranston as CIA lead Jack O'Donnell once again proves why he is one of the best character actors performing today. Victor Garber as the Canadian Ambassador is as amazing as always.
Affleck's touch here is nearly flawless, from the late 70's Warner Brothers logo during the credits, to the grainy film stock used, to the hand held documentary feel, to the use of period strong music; Affleck submerges us into the situation. You will walk out of the theater exhausted from the ride, but you will feel good about the ability of governments to cooperate in the desperate time of a nation gone mad. Affleck pulls no punches in portraying the students and the Iranain goverment for what it was, people who wanted to kill Westerners simply because they did not believe as they did. It's no surprise that while majoring in film studies, Affleck also majored in Middle Eastern studies.
Affleck is quickly building the reputation of an Oscar winning director; justifiably so with this 4 star effort that should be seen by the entire nation.