Argo

"Argo Fuck Yourself"

There isn't a more appropriate title for this review than that, a joke repeated numerous times throughout the film; probably because Argo (the film within a film) is practically a joke itself. It's a ripoff of Star Wars, which bear in mind was a rather new film during the setting of Argo (1979-1980). Argo regards the Iran hostage crisis during the Carter administration, but more particularly, the efforts of the CIA, and one agent in particular, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), to rescue six Americans who escaped the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. And the efforts on behalf of Mendez are nothing short of entertaining and enthralling, though no doubt this isn't an accurate history lesson. It's also a fascinating jab at Hollywood at times. Perhaps my favorite line of dialogue is after Mendez asks why they actually need to purchase the "Argo" screenplay. Producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) replies, "You're worried about the Ayatollah. Try the WGA."

It is an interesting thing, Ben Affleck as a director. He burst onto the screen with him phenomenal debut (as a director) with Gone Baby Gone, which surprised me and critics alike. And then came his action-crime thriller The Town, also beloved by myself and critics. And now he gives us Argo, probably the most critically embraced film he has made yet far. It made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Roger Ebert predicted it would win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It does seem destined for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay nominations, and probably at least one Supporting Actor nomination. Whether it will win I would not fathom a guess at this point, but it contains all the elements; it's a great film and a crowd pleaser.

I'm not sure if it was my expectations going in, or just my general opinion of the film, but this is, at least on first viewing, my least favorite of Affleck's directorial filmography. That is not to say it is bad or even subpar - I just think Affleck has made some incredible films. My favorite thus far still remains Gone Baby Gone, which surprised me more than Argo or The Town, and contained more levels of moral ambiguity and inner conflict than either of the others. Let's breakdown the critical consensus of the three. Gone Baby Gone: 94% on RottenTomatoes with an average of 7.7. The Town: 94% with a 7.8 average. Argo: 95% with an 8.4 average. Argo is clearly the critical darling of the three, and perhaps will move up on my list among the three with a second viewing.

I should note, this is probably Affleck's best directing to date. But best film and best directing aren't the same. I thought Requiem for a Dream was the best directed film of its year, but not the best film. Argo, for me, between Affleck's trio of directorial projects, lacks the character development, moral tension, and twists of Gone Baby Gone, and the sheer thrills and dynamic characters of The Town. It would have helped Argo if I'd been more invested in the six Americans that the film is centered around. As it stands, the most interesting characters are Mendez, Lester Siegel, Jack O'Donnell (Bryan Cranston), and make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman). Beyond that, there isn't as much character work as Affleck's other two pictures. This all lay in the writing, and interestingly enough, Argo is the first Affleck-directed film that Affleck didn't write or co-write.

What of the acting? A good friend of mine wrote on his blog, of Argo, that "nobody directs Affleck better than Affleck." I don't disagree. He's as good here as he was in The Town, which is very good. Most of the Awards attention has gone in the direction of Goodman and Arkin. I see the praise for Arkin, not as much for Goodman. But I think some attention should be given to Bryan Cranston, not just because I'm a huge fan of his, but because he's fantastic, especially near the end as the film builds to its tense, albeit slightly predictable, climax. If Arkin receives an Oscar nomination, so should Cranston.

The film's technical craftsmanship is impeccable. The cinematography is great, and the film editing is phenomenal. No shortcuts were taken in these regards, though none were ever taken in Affleck's prior two films.

This is certainly a great film, destined for a great number of Awards nominations. It isn't my favorite of the year (The Master still holds that spot, with many films yet to see), nor my favorite of Affleck's three films, but it is undoubtedly good. I just wouldn't expect too much based on the reviews.

3.5/4