Argo

My first review is a film that I saw a couple of months ago, and it's made a splash on the upcoming   award season.

Gone Baby Gone was powerful and heart-breaking. The Town was exceptional and cunning. Argo? Well, let’s just say, Ben Affleck is on a roll.

In the years after Good Will Hunting, I was not fond of Ben Affleck. As an actor, he was dull and frustrating to watch (e.g. Armageddon, Pearl Harbour, Forces of Nature and Gigli). There has always been a good side and bad side to Ben Affleck – and unfortunately, he wasn’t showing his good side enough. His Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting (co-written with Matt Damon), his noted sense of humour in Kevin Smith’s films and  Saturday Night Live appearances, and his poignant performance as George Reeve in Hollywoodland. All of which made Affleck seem like a cool, smart guy – a sometimes-talented guy. My strong dislike towards him as a congenial actor starring in weak movies, made me believe that perhaps his talents laid elsewhere. His Good Will Hunting status certainly evoked that he is a storyteller.

Then in 2007, his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone was released, and Ben Affleck proved what his talent is. Like The Town, Affleck is doing triple roles for Argo: director, co-writer and leading man.

In 1979, hundreds of angry political activists had overtaken the U.S. embassy – holding the Americans as hostages. Fortunately, six of the Americans escape undetected and find refuge in the home of a Canadian ambassador (played by Victor Garber). Upon hearing about the six escapees, the C.I.A. hastily conjures up plans to help them flee Iran before the Iranian activists discover about the missing Americans. An elite C.I.A. officer, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), brings forth a ludicrous-sounding plan: a fake Canadian film crew who are on a location scouting trip. But firstly, they need some Hollywood players to help them on this secret operation. Make-up artist and C.I.A. co-operative John Chambers (John Goodman), and successful film producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) guide Mendez through the process of making a (fake) film, and set up a (fake) production office in Hollywood. Secondly, there needs to be a script – one that’s set in an exotic location. The script they chose under piles of unmade screenplays is called Argo, a scie-fi action film set in the desert. Thirdly, publicity – selling the film will help sell the lie. And lastly, the escape plan. Mendez formulates new Canadian identities and job roles for each of the six American escapees – one’s an associate producer, a writer, a camera man, and so forth. Then once the lie is sold, Mendez and the six escapees simply have to board the plane out of Iran, and hope that they will not be detected before taking off.

This is simply a great story. Prior to watching this film, I was not aware of this true story, and as I watched it, I too, like some of the characters in the film, was not convinced that Mendez’s plan will work. The film encapsulates the hardships, the intensity and the psychology of such dire events. This is indeed an intense film, and it’s quite invigorating when good storytelling can truly get your heart pumping. This said, I was glad that I didn’t read up on this true story prior to watching the film – it made the film more enjoyable to watch. And in the strongest moments of the film, there were so many questions running through my mind: Who would be convinced that they’re a film crew doing location scouting in Iran in such turmoil times? Will one of them get left behind and die? Will the Canadian ambassador and his wife get killed, or will Mendez get caught by Iranian soldiers whilst the six escapees successfully flee Iran?

Earlier, I criticized Affleck’s acting abilities, but he plays the unsung hero quite convincingly. Mendez’s taste for alcohol, his attempt at maintaining a steady relationship with his young son (despite his crippling marriage), and his career as a diligent C.I.A. officer asserts him as a great intricate character with an innate ability to stay focused. Though the most impressive performance was by Scoot McNairy who plays Joe Stafford, one of the six American escapees. In the film’s final climax, McNairy’s performance illustrates such daring determination, when Joe explains the plot of their screenplay to the Iranian soldiers in such a passionate tone, as Mendez cleverly brings out the storyboards to establish their authenticity as a film crew. When Mendez explained the film crew plan to the escapees, Joe was the most reluctant one and the least reliable one when they were rehearsing their fake Canadian identities. Yet he is the one who ultimately sells the lie in the end.

Much of the film focuses on the rescue mission, thus steering away from any strong political views, which is a positive in this film, as it allows the narrative to flow  – any radical speeches would have stammered the heart of the story.

Ben Affleck - the filmmaker, has redeemed himself from Ben Affleck - the dull movie star. Watching his three reasonably worthy films erases the embarrassing memories of such poor films, like Armageddon and Pearl Harbour. Maybe Affleck should teach his old pal, Michael Bay, a thing or two on how to make a genuinely good film.