Argo (2012) review

After his acting career went downhill in the early 2000's, Ben Affleck rebounded not by going in front of the camera but behind it as director with his 2007 Boston thriller 'Gone Baby Gone', which was a huge critical hit. Three years later, Affleck helmed his next big project which was also set in Boston, the crime-thriller 'The Town', which was also well-received by critics. For his third film behind the camera, Affleck leaves Boston and moves to 1979 Iran with Argo, based off of a true story of how the CIA came up with a very risky plan to rescue six Americans who were stuck in the country during the Iranian Revolution. Once again, Affleck proves why he is one of the best directors working today, with a film that is quite different in tone compared to Affleck's previous efforts but is still a well-written, well-acted, and intense thriller.

In November of the year 1979, Iranian revolutionists storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking any Americans that they find as hostages. Six of the American Diplomats escape the attack by exiting out of the back of the building, eventually finding refuge in the home of the country's Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). However, they are still at risk of being captured, leading the CIA to try and figure out a way to get them out of the country. Their ex filtration specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with the idea of passing the diplomats off as a Canadian film crew on location working on a science fiction movie. Aided by makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman), producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), and his CIA co-worker Jack O'Donnell (Bryan Cranston), Mendez works at trying to get this fake movie running and to get the diplomats safely out of Tehran.

Argo is quite a different movie compared to 'Gone Baby Gone' and 'The Town' when it comes to its overall tone. Compared to the dark and gritty Boston thrillers that came before, Argo is a more lighthearted thriller that's actually like two films in one. When Mendez is in Hollywood, it's almost like a comedy with some really humorous moments between Mendez, Chambers, and Siegel. But then the movie shifts to Tehran and the suspense grows as Mendez attempts to get the Diplomats out of the country. This leads to the best thing about this movie in that it never gets dull. Probably Affleck's biggest problem going into this film was that because it's based off a true story, many people will already know what had happened. But Affleck utilizes the art of suspense to great effect. No matter what happened (I'm not spoiling anything), there's always the present danger that this plan could not work. The ending in particular is really nail-biting and it keeps you glued to your seat the entire time.

Affleck also once again proves he is a great actor-director, as proven by this film's great cast. In the lead role, Affleck is very reserved and he doesn't try to steal the show. He allows the other members of the cast to shine. Whenever the two of them are on screen, Goodman and Arkin steal the show. Also, in a film with a pretty big cast, Affleck also makes an effort to give enough character development for the right characters, namely the six diplomats. This isn't a case where they are just there to help move the film along. We actually get to know them and we really are hoping they get out of this country. Anytime they leave the comfort of the Canadian Ambassador's house and head out onto to the angry streets of Tehran, anything could lead to trouble.

With Argo, Affleck continues his excellent run as a director, now having made three excellent thrillers over the last few years. In regards to this film, he ditches the cold, dark, and gritty natures of Gone Baby Gone and The Town for a more lighthearted film that has some humorous moments but still maintains a strong sense of tension. As absurd as this 'fake movie' idea may sound, it feels real and we can see how risky this idea is but like they say in the film, it's “the best bad idea they've had by far”. It's another film that we will no doubt see a lot of during awards season. Who knows? Maybe this Ben Affleck directed film might actually get nominated for something other than best supporting actor/actress at the Oscars.

Rating: 5/5!