By Will Thomas
Staff Writer
Ben Affleck’s third film as director, Argo, tells the declassified story of the mission to rescue six American diplomats from Iran as the Iranian hostage crisis unfolds. The film is loosely based off the account of Tony Mendez, a CIA specialist whom Affleck portrays.
In 1979 the United States embassy in Iran was attacked by anti-American protestors, and employees escaped as the mob breaches the building. The CIA then worked to find a way to rescue them without risking the safety of the hostages.
After many ideas were trashed, Mendez came to a solution while watching Battle for the Planet of the Apes that an agent and the diplomats pose as a film crew location scouting for a movie. The movie had to be real, but it would never actually be made. The script selected is entitled Argo.
Everything about this movie is gripping and entertaining. Every scene holds the viewers’ attention whether through laughs or suspense. Even if you know how the situation plays out, the fact that this is a true story grasps viewers.
There is not nearly as much violence as expected in Argo. While there are disturbing images, there is no graphic violence. There are very few gunshots in the movie, which simply builds the intensity. However, there are several portrayals of violent protests and civil unrest.
John Goodman plays John Chambers, the makeup artist from the Planet of the Apes series, who has helped the CIA in previous operations. He convinces a movie producer, Lester Siegel, to produce the fake movie and assist in the operation. Goodman shines on screen for the few scenes he is in, but he is almost overshadowed by Alan Arkin.
Arkin plays Siegel, and he simply steals the show in every scene he is in. Almost every line he has is either quotable or will have you laughing out loud. With either flat out vulgarity or a witty remark about Hollywood, Arkin will keep the viewers’ attention.
Bryan Cranston from AMC’s “Breaking Bad” plays Mendez’s CIA supervisor, Jack O’Donnell. Cranston is not in the movie as much I expected him to be. If he were more present in the movie, I would say Cranston’s performance was Oscar worthy. The pressure the character is under is clearly visible to the audience.
The movie is propelled by the true story aspect, so there is little room for character development. Surprisingly, as little as we know about each character, we feel the stress of all of them. Ben Affleck’s character is solemn but not wooden. If there are any characters you connect to in this movie, they would be the diplomats being rescued.
I was surprised to see little to none of President Jimmy Carter. The film uses footage from the events, including a couple of glimpses at President Carter. This was actually a good thing for the movie, because many films involving government operations such as this tend to involve too much of the president. If Carter were to be in the film, he would be a part of another story arc the audience has to follow.
In short, Argo is one of the best movies of 2012. I expect Affleck to win best director, if not– he should at least receive a nomination for an Oscar. I would recommend this movie to anybody who likes historical films or a good thriller. The movie is rated R for strong language, smoking and drinking throughout, and some disturbing images. I thoroughly enjoyed Ben Affleck’s work in this film, and I look forward to his next project.
Rating: A+
