"Argo" Review

"Argo"

Directed by Ben Affleck
Starring Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, Scoot McNairy

RATING
8/10

About 14 years ago, a couple of dopey college kids walked away with the Oscar for Best Screenplay, having written the Gus Van Sant-directed "Good Will Hunting". They were Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Now, one solidified his place as a tough action movie star, and the other became a directing force of nature. I was incredibly surprised at the talent Affleck possessed when I watched his previous two directorial efforts, the solemn peformance-driven piece, "Gone Baby Gone" and electrifying heist film, "The Town". He felt very comfortable behind the camera as much as he was in front of it, and proved to be a director to look out for in the future. Well, we're looking at him now. "Argo" is here.

 

"Argo" is the account of the joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six American diplomats from Iran in the midst of a violent revolution in 1980. The operation is lead by Tony Mendez, a level-headed but smart CIA operative who conducts a devious way to bring them out of the war-torn country: to fake the filming of a silly, fake sci-fi movie called "Argo" and pretend the fugitives are members of the crew doing location scouting. Sounds far-fetched? Well, hold on to your butts. This is a true story.

 

I knew this was based on real-life events going in, but found myself constantly questioning the ludicrious nature of it all. A part of my brain still thinks this didn't happen, but Ben Affleck makes it work splendidly. His direction is the star of this film, simply because of how close-knit the script is and how he manipulates tension and suspense, especially in the last half hour. It's an amazing juggling act that Affleck pulls off like a pro. Performance-wise, there's quite a bit of talent on display here. Affleck does a great job as the subdued but calculated CIA operative, and makes it easy for us to get on his side, while John Goodman plays a make-up artist who helps in the creation of the faux movie. The two standouts here are Alan Arkin and Bryan Cranston, who bring a great balance of comedic and dramatic elements. The dark comedy works extremely well amidst the tension, and provides some relief but never strays far from its central focus.

The true magnetic power of "Argo" is, of course, the direction. I've never been so impressed with Affleck's technical work before, and really shows that this once-golden Hollywood boy has been growing as more than just a pretty face to be cast in atrociously bad movies (I'm looking at you, "Daredevil"). In the end, everything comes together so immaculately, from the directing to the performances to the incredibly tight suspense and anxiety levels. If, perhaps the only gripe I had was that the rest of the cast isn't given much screen time, especially Alan Arkin and John Goodman. I would've loved to see more of their bickering and witty remarks. The film also ends on a very solemn note which doesn't quite matter when you really think about it. All that matters is the journey of this incredible man to pull off quite possibly the craziest government operation in history.

 

"Argo" is well-acted, superbly written, and nail-bitingly suspenseful in its execution. It is, without a doubt, Affleck's best directed film to date, and I have a whole new-found respect for this guy (if "The Town" didn't already solidify that). I can only say, go see "Argo" immediately. It's definitely worth your time, even if true event-based movies aren't your thing. I'm assuming this will give you a good dose of reality, even if it means suspending disbelief on account of, well, a true event. Bare with me, I know how it sounds.