Rated
R (Language and Some Violent Images)
Running
Time: 2 Hours
Cast-
Ben
Affleck-Antonio 'Tony' Mendez
Bryan
Cranston-Jack O'Donnell
Alan
Arkin-Lester Siegel
John
Goodman-John Chambers
Tate
Donovan-Robert Anders
Clea
DuVall-Cora Lijek
Christopher
Denham-Mark Lijek
Kerry
Bishé-Kathy Stafford
Scoot
McNairy-Joe Stafford
Rory
Cochrane-Henry Lee Schatz
Victor
Garber-Ken Taylor
Page
Leong-Pat Taylor
Kyle
Chandler-Hamilton Jordan
Taylor
Schilling-Christine Mendez
Bob
Gunton-Cyrus Vance
Philip
Baker Hall-Warren Christopher
Directed
by Ben Affleck
 |
| Ben Affleck stars as CIA specialist Tony Mendez in "Argo," set during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. |
Whenever
a film is 'based on a true story,' it's almost always meaningless as its been
widely altered to fit into a specific Hollywood formula, one that involves
'inspiring' the audience and feeding them a sappy, clichéd 'happy ending.' 2006's
"The Pursuit of Happyness" tells the story of Chris Gardner (played
by Will Smith), who toils for months at stock brokerage firm Dean Witter as an intern while
struggling with homelessness with his little boy, Chris Jr. Although Gardner did in fact get a job at the firm
through hard work, he was not exactly a great father figure and was even
arrested at one point for domestic abuse. His son was also conceived when he
was still married to another woman and Gardner even admitted to selling drugs
and doing cocaine with his mistress. Of course, including those unsavory details
wouldn't have left the audience with a smile on their face. The problem is that
these films often fall outside the bounds of credibility. Not so with Ben
Affleck's "Argo," a thriller that takes place during the tumultuous
Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979. After receiving critical acclaim with close
friend Matt Damon in 1997's "Good Will Hunting," Affleck followed his
success by starring in films directed by…Michael Bay. Not exactly a smart move and
his career took a sizable hit when 2003's "Gigli" flopped at the box
office. Considered to be one of the worst films ever made, the studio released
a heavily revised version to capitalize on the romance between Affleck and
Jennifer Lopez. 2007 marked a major turning point when he made a career
comeback with his directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone." His third
feature film, "Argo" crackles with energy and suspense thanks to
Affleck's taut pacing and vivid attention to historical detail, with the last twenty
minutes providing a truly heart-pounding conclusion.
The year is 1979 and Iran
is in a state of crisis, with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi recently overthrown and
replaced with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, the
Shah is granted asylum in the United States and undergoes treatment, prompting
a violent response in Iran as protestors storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on
November 4. The employees scramble to shred all the classified documents they
have on-hand while Consular Officer Robert Anders (Tate Donovan) convinces five
others: Cora and Mark Lijek (Clea DuVall and Christopher Denham), Kathy and Joe
Stafford (Kerry Bishé and Scoot McNairy), and Henry Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane),
to escape the embassy with him through a backdoor. The remaining 52 employees
are held hostage by the Iranians while the six escapees are taken in by
Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber) and his wife Pat (Page Leong). The
State Department consults with the CIA to explore options of exfiltrating the six
but specialist Antonio 'Tony' Mendez (Ben Affleck) points out that all their
proposals are terrible because they were designed for other regions or depend
on seasonal cover stories. Mendez is unable to offer a suitable alternative
until he receives a moment of inspiration while watching "Battle for the
Planet of the Apes" with his son. Presenting his idea to his boss Jack
O'Donnell (Bryan Cranston), he proposes a cover story where the six are
Canadian filmmakers who are in Iran to scout for 'exotic,' Middle Eastern
locations for a science fiction film. Enlisting the aid of famed Hollywood
make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan
Arkin), Mendez flies out to Tehran and puts his life on the line to rescue the six
diplomats.
Like any film based on a true story, "Argo" does take a
few liberties for the sake of dramatic license but it still feels real and
grounded. Affleck directs with confident precision, moving the film between
moments of comedy and suspense with ease, his focus always on the rescue of the
six 'houseguests' and the extreme danger that it entails. This doesn't leave
much room for character development but there are a few scattered scenes that
establish Mendez as a family man who's estranged from his wife and son due to
his job. One element that stands out is the emphasis on historical accuracy and
it goes beyond just the hair and clothes. Even the grainy film stock and the
use of Saul Bass' Warner Brothers logo invoke a 1970's vibe. A brief prologue
that cleverly mixes archival footage with animated storyboards quickly bring
audiences up to the speed on the events that led to the hostage crisis and
there's a certain eeriness in watching the Iranians storm the embassy because
it's recreated so well, almost as if it were unfolding now. Affleck's
verisimilitude extends to the various news broadcasts lifted from that era,
where a young Walter Cronkite and Ted Koppel earned their stripes by reporting
on the crisis every night from old-fashioned CRT television sets. Moving at a
brisk pace, the middle act tracks Mendez's progress to establish the plan's
credibility, with Affleck employing some black comedy that pokes fun at
Hollywood's excesses. In order to not arouse any suspicion, the fake film had
to be sold to the public as real, leading to a lavish event at the Hilton in
which various actors dressed in garish costumes (including a Blue Chewbacca!)
perform a reading of the script. Press releases, posters (dubbed with the
cheesy tagline 'A Cosmic Conflagration'), and even storyboards were
commissioned to make sure that nothing was left to chance. The inherent
craziness of Mendez's plan is often humorously brought up by Chambers and
Siegel even as six American lives hang in the balance. "Argo" is at
its most suspenseful once it moves the action to Iran (actually Istanbul,
Turkey), keeping audiences on their toes even though we already know how it all
ends. The last twenty minutes literally left me at the edge of my seat with my
heart pounding in my chest as Mendez leads the group through each checkpoint at
the airport, the danger of whether they'll be caught almost unbearable. When a
film immerses you this much, you know it's good and the technical craft that
Affleck displays make "Argo" one of this year's best.
The cast is a
mixture of recognizable and not-so-recognizable faces but every one of them
brings their A-game, no matter how small a role they have. In addition to
directing, Affleck portrays Tony Mendez in a performance that might come across
as dull at first glance but the reserved manner of the character works to his
advantage because this is a person who has to keep his cool in situations like
this. His reunion with his wife is tacked on but I understand the need for
emotional closure. Much of the drama is derived from the six diplomats, played
by Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Scoot McNairy,
and Rory Cochrane. The fear and doubt etched on their faces is palpable, with
McNairy being the standout as he voices his lack of faith in Mendez's plan and
almost derails it when he refuses to participate. Bryan Cranston has a minor
role but lends a sense of gravitas despite spending much of the film behind a
desk or on the phone. Providing some much-needed levity is John Goodman and the
ever-dependable Alan Arkin, who's 'Argo f*ck yourself' line drew laughs from
the audience. Rounding out this dynamic cast is Victor Garber as Canadian
ambassador Ken Taylor, although the Canadians' involvement in the rescue is
somewhat marginalized.
"Argo" was released on October 12, 2012 to
rave reviews with 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as 'tense,
exciting, and often darkly comic, [the film] recreates a historical event with
vivid attention to detail and finely wrought characters.' It was not able to
unseat "Taken 2" from the top spot during its opening weekend but the
positive word-of-mouth propelled "Argo" from second to first place in
its third week of release. With a modest production budget of $44.5 million, it
has already grossed $89.2 million worldwide and is even generating some Oscar
buzz. With a distinct lack of shootouts and explosions, "Argo" is an
atypical thriller fine-tuned to perfection. Not only is it entertaining, it
also presents an important moment in history that should not be forgotten given
the volatile world we live in today.
Final
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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