Movies and spies has always been a popular
combination with cinema goers, so it was only a matter of time before a film
that so perfectly allowed their intertwining came around. Based on true events,
we follow attempt by the CIA to exfiltrate six of their countrymen from Iran,
after their embassy was stormed. Argo is
Ben Afflecks third film behind the camera and his second as the leading man in
his film, the other being 2010’s The Town,
one of the few criticisms he has ever really come under since making the leap
to director.
Affleck plays the central role of Tony
Mendes, a CIA operative who puts forward the idea for using a film as a cover
for getting the diplomats out of Iran, the performance is very stripped down,
always played as vague and ambiguous, offering no details about his real life
outside of the mission. At times this is interesting, but also, it would have
been better to get a little more of this man onto the screen. The one plus of
this though, is that it allows the other performances to shine, all of the
diplomats are interesting and given just enough time and depth to make you
invest in them and ultimately see them escape to freedom.
The real stars of the film, at least
performance wise, is the trio of John Goodman, Alan Arkin and Brian Cranston,
who play a Hollywood make-up artist, a producer and a colleague of Mendes in
the CIA. Whenever one of these men are on the screen, the film really comes to
life, adding energy, dramatic tension and humour. Some of the scenes with
Goodman and Arkin are the best of the year.
The plot is relatively straight forward and
easy to follow, we begin with the siege of the embassy and escape of the six
diplomats to the Canadian ambassadors house. After that, the CIA learns that
they escaped and begin putting together a series of plans to get them out, some
ludicrous, others completely impractical, as pointed out by Mendes in the
meeting. Then once Mendes stumbles across the idea of using a film as a cover,
the film really finds it’s pacing and direction, which drives us through to the
dramatic and obviously exaggerated ending.
One of the films criticisms is that it portrays
the majority of the Iranians as nothing but wild, incoherent savages, lusting
after American blood. One of the biggest strengths to this argument is that
there are little to no subtitles for any of the Iranian conversations. However,
it could be argued that it is clear from actions of the Iranians of what they
are saying, a confrontation in a bazaar is a prime example of this, when one of
the diplomats gets into an argument, neither one is capable of talking to the
other and so for the Iranian at least, we have nothing but his actions and tone
to decide what he is saying.
Visually, the film is shot cleanly and
without much complication, choosing instead to focus it’s attention on the
characters instead of spectacle, a decision that Affleck deserves praise for.
Many others would have filled this with unnecessary filler, while here it is
kept stripped down and fast moving. The performances are the real strength and
luckily they are allowed to shine.
Argo
is a
well made, character led thriller that also works as brilliant satire on
Hollywood and the movie business at the same time. It is well worth your time
and a film that will have you glued to the screen for the last half an hour.
