Steve Reviews Argo

Argo is the movie about the movie that never was.

In the fall of 1979, a group of Iranian terrorists took control of the American embassy and held dozens of American workers hostage. What the terrorists didn’t know was that six people escaped and sought refuge in the home of a Canadian diplomat, where they stayed in hiding for months. The movie Argo (the real movie) tells the story of how the CIA tried to get the 6 escapees out of Iran under the guise of them being a Canadian film crew, on location making the (fake) movie Argo.

The (real) movie Argo was produced and directed by Ben Affleck, who stars in it as well. Affleck has shown some real cinematic prowess in the last 5 years. That younger man who once starred in Kevin Smith films (and played uncredited basketball player #10 in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, according to IMDB) hit a home run when he and fellow actor Matt Damon wrote, and subsequently won a screenwriting Oscar for, Good Will Hunting in 1997. 10 years and some very questionable film choices later, Ben wrote and directed Gone Baby Gone to mediocre success. His directing style got noticed, and he had an even bigger hit with 2010’s The Town, nominated for Best Picture.

The (fake) movie Argo was rushed into “production” with the help of some old-time Hollywood legends, played wonderfully in the real movie by Alan Arkin and John Goodman. They worked with the CIA to make a fake production studio, fake movie posters, and even a full cast read-through of the script. Every detail had to be in place if the scheme was going to work.

Although the (fake) movie Argo looked absolutely terrible, the real movie is actually pretty good. It’s a historical drama, so it moves sort of slowly at times and sits heavy at others. But the parts set in Hollywood grab the interest of the viewers by offering a sharp, comedic contrast to the serious situation abroad. Perhaps it’s because the average person (especially the one sitting in a movie theatre) identifies more with the world of pop culture than it does with foreign politics. (The real) Argo is a look into two worlds: film making and CIA operations. Both are interesting on different levels, but their historic marriage for this event make for a great story.

On the whole, Hollywood loves movies about Hollywood. Last year, The Artist took home Best Picture, but it certainly wasn’t the first time there was horn-tooting. Is a movie about a would-be movie enough to excite Academy voters? The experts think so. I thought it was pretty good, but not great. I don’t think it was Best Picture-worthy, but I will say that Affleck deserves some attention for his direction. Also, the editing of the film created a certain tension that made the dire foreign situation seem more. . . dire.

Go see Argo. It should garner a Best Picture nomination (if not a win, according to some). Make sure to stay for the credits, too. Comparative photos of the real people and the actors playing them in the film add interesting fodder for the ride home.

-Steve
11.2.2012