Ben Affleck proves again he's as good a scribe off camera as he is in front of it, from his success with The Town Affleck decides to take on story loosely based on real life events. When a U.S Embassy in Tehran is ambushed and taken over, a small group of would be captives escape and hide out with a Canadian ambassador still within Iran. Meanwhile back in America, the CIA struggle with several vauge and crazed ideas (one including sending in bicycles) to try and get the six escapee Americans out of Iran in one piece. In steps CIA specialist Toby Mendez brought in to help consult the ideas on show, while he points out all routes so far explored are too far flawed he admits he himself sees no effective substitute. Answering all his prayers Mendez catches Battle of the Planet of the Apes on television late one night and instantly hatches a miraculous yet outrageous plan. Rallying a team of a Hollywood make up artist and a producer to put together a phony Star Wars rip off which they'll then pretend to be filming in Iran. With a hair brained scheme the likes of which has never been scene, Mendez sets out to create the best non existent sci-fi film ever made, with six lives hanging in the balance everything is riding on Mendez's fake film, Argo.
As if he wasn't busy enough behind the camera and partially penning the story, Ben Affleck takes to the role of Tony Mendez with ease. Not one for scene stealing, his CIA specialist has a more charismatic feel yet it's played down enough to show that the real importance of the film is the scenario and plan as much as it is the man, and Affleck really does have to be commemorated on that. Bryan Cranston as ever brings a completely different yet just as always an endearing character to the screen as Jack'O Donnell who serves as both Mendez friend and supervisor who pushes his idea against the other bad ideas in which they think out. The filming team consists of John Goodman as John chambers as the make up artist and Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel the films fake producer, both make a mockery of the situation and its insanity whilst acting also as light comic relief which adds a balance to the film perfectly from both. While the main group of escapees are shown in less detail stand outs are Tate Donovan and especially Scoot McNairy who proved his merit in Killing Them Softly and only strengthens that talent here, though all the escapees fill the 'civillian' element of the characters particularly well.
Argo is a film which proves that Ben Affleck is a true asset to Hollywood and with this film he proves it twice , few people could make a ludicrous concept among a somewhat tense moment of historical unease a strong and engaging film for the mass market, yet Affleck pulls it off extremely well. Capturing that toned down feel of the late seventies (even in costume and make up, check out those terrible wigs and beards) Affleck manages to wind together a light tale, add some light humour and then turn it right around and create a tense thriller as the film winds down. Amazingly, those three elements meld together surprisingly well and is often down to how Affleck uses the pace of the film to adjust to the events taking place, his technique is even shown in the trailer where you can see how the different elements merge and somehow still piece together perfectly. From its witty remarks on Hollywood, political view on the incident at the U.S Embassy and a daring escape plan involving a fake film production team that ramps up the tension with every passing second, Argo feels like cinema at its best. Though it has minor flaws as every film does like running time, Argo is a thriller which definitely delivers on what it promises by the truck load and if you have the time to invest in it, it's certainly well worth a watch.
9 / 10
FIN.
As if he wasn't busy enough behind the camera and partially penning the story, Ben Affleck takes to the role of Tony Mendez with ease. Not one for scene stealing, his CIA specialist has a more charismatic feel yet it's played down enough to show that the real importance of the film is the scenario and plan as much as it is the man, and Affleck really does have to be commemorated on that. Bryan Cranston as ever brings a completely different yet just as always an endearing character to the screen as Jack'O Donnell who serves as both Mendez friend and supervisor who pushes his idea against the other bad ideas in which they think out. The filming team consists of John Goodman as John chambers as the make up artist and Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel the films fake producer, both make a mockery of the situation and its insanity whilst acting also as light comic relief which adds a balance to the film perfectly from both. While the main group of escapees are shown in less detail stand outs are Tate Donovan and especially Scoot McNairy who proved his merit in Killing Them Softly and only strengthens that talent here, though all the escapees fill the 'civillian' element of the characters particularly well.
Argo is a film which proves that Ben Affleck is a true asset to Hollywood and with this film he proves it twice , few people could make a ludicrous concept among a somewhat tense moment of historical unease a strong and engaging film for the mass market, yet Affleck pulls it off extremely well. Capturing that toned down feel of the late seventies (even in costume and make up, check out those terrible wigs and beards) Affleck manages to wind together a light tale, add some light humour and then turn it right around and create a tense thriller as the film winds down. Amazingly, those three elements meld together surprisingly well and is often down to how Affleck uses the pace of the film to adjust to the events taking place, his technique is even shown in the trailer where you can see how the different elements merge and somehow still piece together perfectly. From its witty remarks on Hollywood, political view on the incident at the U.S Embassy and a daring escape plan involving a fake film production team that ramps up the tension with every passing second, Argo feels like cinema at its best. Though it has minor flaws as every film does like running time, Argo is a thriller which definitely delivers on what it promises by the truck load and if you have the time to invest in it, it's certainly well worth a watch.
9 / 10
FIN.
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