94% Argo

The third directorial film from Ben Affleck ("The Town"), plunges those old enough to remember this time period, back into an air of nostalgia while edifying a vast mass of others on the attitudes of feuding nations and the realities of the Iran Hostage Crisis as seen by two nations during the Cold War. Also starring in this film, Affleck takes on the blank slate of Tony Mendez, a disheveled CIA agent with a shaggy haircut and a flippant backstory. The film shifts between historical fiction and thrilling caper, Affleck portraying a steely eyed spy, traipsing through the entire movie as a confident and reserved escapist. The film covers a touchy time in American history, as it centers on the Iran Hostage Crisis. Six employees of the embassy escape into the streets only to go into hiding. In comes Tony Mendez, a seasoned operative of the CIA and the only man who is able to save their lives in a time of public outcry. The main premise of the film is one that strikes interest immediately: Mendez must secretly promote and create a sci-fi film and smuggle out the escapees with fake passports purporting that they are a Canadian film crew, in Tehran for location scouting. Mendez accomplishes this with the help of a monster makeup expert and a washed up producer. Besides being thrillingly entertaining, it's surprising to note the level of historical accuracy that went into the making of this film. The soundtrack is a nostalgic throwback, though it doesn't aim to be pushy about the setting. Much of this was meant to look and feel like a seventies' political thriller. Not only did Affleck really think about the film's progression, but it's texture, including using seventies' style filming techniques when recreating scenes from real events, including a public hanging by crane and the organization of readings to the press. The historical framing and attention to detail were very specific. Even the casting was specific in reference to the look of the characters. Some amazing choices included John Goodman as Oscar winning makeup artist John Chambers, Bryan Cranston as CIA senior executive Jack O'Donnell, and Alan Arkin as the hammy award winning producer Lester Siegel. Though the premise may seem gimmicky, it never even borders on over the top. The film is far more about the fear of an entire country gripped in revolution and social unrest than it has anything to do with goofy sub-plots involving aliens and monsters. The violence that centers on the Iranian peoples' revolt is heart chillingly cruel and horrific while being vividly realistic. The reason it isn't the best, or even one of the best films of the year, is because Affleck skews the truth by using false starts again and again. It's not the facts that are being diverted, but instead the stakes of the film, heightened by situations that swell with the rise of Alexandre Desplat's score. The tension keeps building to achingly uncomfortable levels, but doesn't grip you, only heightens your fear to an anticlimactic plateau. It doesn't hurt the integrity of the story or diminish the courageous tactical planning of Mendez, the Canadian ambassador or the hostages' predicament, but it does lose credibility to an already fantastical feeling story. The lesser characters are mostly flat and revolve around the plot without evolving past vaguely interesting. Arkin is certainly the most interesting, providing the same shock humor in this film that he shown us before in "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Get Smart." Interesting enough Arkin isn't the only comedic presence in this film. Threaded throughout are hints of dark humor, and the some edgier fair . More often than not you will be on the literal edge of your seat, either in anticipation of the characters' fate, or laughing at the well placed humor. Though it depicts some vague human cruelties and is obviously showing a nation strangled by oppression and violence, the film seems very keen to keep from having Iranians be outright demonized. While the CIA agent's dialogue and footage from American protesters in the film would say otherwise, it's really about peace between nations and saving lives. It's a taut thriller because the circumstances surrounding that time in history were unflinchingly grim, not because Affleck takes liberties with historical events. It's exciting to see what next this sophomoric director will show us.

October 10, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/argo_2012/

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