"ARGO" 3 stars outta 4

"Argo"
Directed by Ben Affleck
Screenplay by Chris Terrio
Produced by Ben Affleck, Grant Heslov and George Clooney
Director of Photography Rodrigo Prieto
Production Designer Sharon Seymour
Edited by William Goldenberg
Music by Alexandre Desplat


So my first review is a Ben Affleck movie.  And it's pretty darn good.  How 'bout that?  Now, I must confess I did not see either of Affleck's previous two directing efforts "Gone Baby Gone" or "The Town".  So although the buzz surrounding this movie was good, I really didn't know what to expect from this filmmaker.

So call me very pleasantly surprised that Mr. Voyage of the Mimi was able to craft an amount of suspense and tension that would've made Hitchcock blush.  One thing I want to avoid when I review a film is giving away all the secrets.  Far too many reviews give away the whole goddamn movie.  So I'll try to keep my criticism pointed and non-spoilery.

For the most part, this movie about a CIA operative using the cover of a film shoot to rescue Americans trapped in Iran after the storming of the embassy is tight, well paced, and smart.  Chris Terrio's screenplay gets right to the point and at exactly 2 hours in length, this movie doesn't have a shred of fat that is in need of being burned off.  Having said that, a lot has been made of how entertaining the Hollywood references are in addition to the performances of Alan Arkin and John Goodman.  Yes, they're both very good.  But when are they not?  These are two old pros of Hollywood and yes, they're a lot of fun to watch in this film, but they really aren't in the movie very much at all.  This movie really is more about Affleck's character getting to Iran and teaching the Americans holed up at a Canadian ambassador's house how to fake like they're a movie crew to get out.

So all the Iran stuff is great.  Really tense, well acted, well filmed, etc.  But probably the biggest criticism I can give this movie is that Ben Affleck really shouldn't have cast himself as the main lead.  His character has zero dimension and he plays it even more robotic.  I think if Affleck had cast someone who could show a little bit more vulnerability, that would've made the film even better.  I'm not saying you need a lot, but you still need a little more information about the guy to make him care whether he lives or not.  And giving him a daughter he talks to for one minute doesn't count.

Honestly, I really don't know what all the Oscar buzz about this film is about.  It's a rather good, solid thriller.  It really might just be for the fact that this has been an extremely lame year for movies, that this one seems like a great one.  But there really isn't anything that Oscar worthy about it.  It's just a good movie.  Recommended definitely.  But I would say, lower your expectations a smidgeon.

-T.B.