Argo - Review

The whole country is watching you.  They just don't know it.

For about 95% of the movie, Argo is a brilliant thriller crafted by one of the surprisingly adept actors-turned-directors Ben Affleck.  However, in the film's final act, the filmmakers drop the ball at the 5-yard line, pick it back up, and eventually score.  But let's talk about the good stuff first.  The stage is set during the wonderfully done opening sequence that establishes the urgency of the situation via rapid cuts and sudden shifts in tone and pacing.  The actors, both lead and supporting, are all pitch perfect in their respective roles.  Affleck is on-point as the bold risk taker who organizes the extraction of the American hostages.  Alan Arkin is probably the most fun and essentially adapts his persona from Little Miss Sunshine as the crass grandpa here as a Hollywood producer.  He and Bryan Cranston provide much of the dark comedy that works in the context of the film and nicely balances the tension.  The actors/actresses portraying the hostages all successfully create believable characters (based on real people) who approach their predicament in differing ways.  Behind the camera, Affleck creates the tension necessary for any good thriller all while blending the facts with the fiction, mixing found footage with cinematic drama.  He established this knack for suspense previously in Gone Baby Gone and The Town, which seemed to me heavily influenced by Hitchcock (but then again, how can you talk about suspense without bringing up Hitch in the conversation).  Now there's that little matter of the third act blunder.  Maybe it wasn't a blunder for some audiences, BUT it seemed to me there were one too many phone calls made during the film's climax.  It was just silly.  The producers go out for a drink, are held up by a ridiculous C movie shoot, and we're left wondering if they'll pick up the phone in time to save the hostages.  It just didn't make sense that all of the film's brilliantly established tension should hinge on what seemed to me to be a contrived happenstance. Up until that point, I legitimately feared for the characters' lives (having intentionally not researched the true story beforehand) and the suspense was there.  Despite the minor fumble in the 4th quarter, Argo represents another winning achievement from Director Ben Affleck that will likely go on to receive the award recognition it deserves.

4.5 out of 5

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