Affleck Scores With Argo

By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 22, 2012 10:00PM

Ben Affleck’s charming, vintage scruff does nothing to diminish the polish and clarity of Argo, his thrilling political drama loosely based on real-life CIA agent Tony Mendez’s daring rescue of six US diplomats in Iran. This is Affleck’s third foray into directing after films Gone Baby Gone and The Town and was written by Chris Terrio and co-produced by Grant Heslov, George Clooney, and Affleck himself, is a sober attempt to bring to life a time in American history that hints at the lack of progress the U.S. has made with Middle Eastern countries today.

Set during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, the film begins with a straightforward, cartoon-like recap of US-Iranian relations, which quite plainly states America’s troubling involvement in deposing Iran’s democratically elected leader. CIA “exfil” specialist Tony Mendez is called in to collaborate on how to rescue the six Americans who escaped the hostage situation and are hiding out in the Canadian ambassador’s home in Tehran; he obliges with an ironic pitch to create a fake Hollywood science-fiction movie that will serve as a cover to extricate the diplomats as Canadian filmmakers.

John Goodman, as Oscar-winning makeup artist John Chambers, joins forces with Alan Arkin, as film producer Lester Siegel, to create the authentic front for the CIA’s sci-fi, high-stakes project. Their light-hearted performance and genuine effort at patriotism is a pleasant contrast to what Hollywood people are noted for today. Delivering many pithy one-liners, they contribute the humor and heart the intense story line craves.

Performances by Victor Garber as the Canadian ambassador, Bryan Cranston as the CIA boss, and Kyle Chandler as Carter’s Chief of Staff were all essential to keep the fast-paced tale at its best.

The most impressive part of this film was the manner in which the tension of the period was captured. Weaving in real news footage with panoramic views of contemporary Istanbul, DC, Virginia, and Los Angeles, viewers felt like they never left the heat and chaos of the Iranian revolution. This film is necessary for people who didn’t live through the crisis as it evokes the climate so readily and beautifully. The film’s weakest element was its attempt to humanize Mendez with an unnecessary exposé on his family life. Undoubtedly included to dampen the intense politics, I would have preferred a less cliché human part and instead gone for more Hollywood humor and irony. Argo is a story of hope and courage in the face of crisis that leaves the audience feeling triumphant and a bit more in love with Affleck’s classic facial hair.

By Victoria Pietrus