Argo (2012)
Certified: 14
Duration: 120 minutes
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Clea DuVall, Kyle Chandler, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Zeljko Ivanek, Michael Parks, Tom Lenk, Christopher Stanley, Taylor Schilling
KRS release
Argo confirms once again that Ben Affleck as director is a stronger force to be reckoned with than Affleck the actor.
Gone Baby Gone (2007) was his calling card and The Town (2010) was his anointment. Argo now sees him delivering a statement that goes beyond Hollywood.
Affleck has managed to deliver a cinematic and, most of all, entertaining film that brings together politics, thriller elements and palpable drama in a very unique manner.
The film is set in 1979 when the Islamic Revolution in Iran is in full swing. The Shah of Iran has to leave the country and goes to the US.
This triggers off waves of protests from Iranian students and militants who attack and take over the US embassy in Iran.
Fifty-two Americans end up being held hostage but six other US citizens manage to escape and find refuge in the home of Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), the Canadian ambassador.
The American Government is soon at work on a rescue plan but the ideas concocted all seem to be faulty in some manner.
CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a plan that seems to have a chance at succeeding: he will pose as a Canadian film-maker going round Tehran scouting locations and the six US escapees will pose as the production crew.
Tony’s boss, Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), believes this is too far out to succeed.
However, Tony gets the approval and enrols Hollywood producer Lester Siegel and make-up artists John Chambers to deliver a film that can be used as part of the cover-up.
The script chosen is called Argo, a sci-fi movie that is to be set in the Middle East. So a press conference is launched, a studio is set up, etc, while Mendez prepares to fly to Tehran in a race against time before everyone notices that this is all a ruse and the escapees are captured.
A quick search on the internet shows that, unbelievable as the above may seem, the film is based on actual events that happened in 1979 at the height of the Iran hostage crisis.
The cast is uniformly excellent but this film’s forte lies in its direction. The subject is not an easy one and the story has many layers to it that demand the audience’s focus at all times. However, Affleck pulls the whole thing off like a seasoned director. His turn as Mendez is also spot on and gives the film itsperfect lynchpin.
The film will immerse you in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran, a world that is simply crazy and much more terrifying than any horror movie can ever be. It is also a personal statement from the director on international politics and how, despite the mistakes made in the past, they keep on repeating themselves.
By the end of the film, after a final 20-minute masterfully edited climax that will leave you breathless, you will probably agree that Argo should definitely feature on many a podium once the awards season kicks off.