With Ben Affleck’s Argo opening up today, many of the readers will be flocking to the movie theaters to see if Affleck’s film holds water after spectacular reviews from festivals and critics alike.
Watching it this morning, I agree that it’s the best film of Affleck’s directing career and possibly the best of the year. Tightly packaged, well-acted, expertly and creatively written by Chris Terrio. Affleck could follow the footsteps of Mel Gibson in 1996.
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Categories: Blog
Tags: American film directors, Argo, Ben Affleck, Chris Terrio, Cinema of the United States, Entertainment/Culture, Mel Gibson
Tags: American film directors, Argo, Ben Affleck, Chris Terrio, Cinema of the United States, Entertainment/Culture, Mel Gibson
Comments: 8 Comments |
8 Comments
Thrilled that everyone is getting to see it…
Joey Magidson(Quote) (Reply)
Going in a few hours. Absolutely cannot wait. After this, my most anticipated films will be Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables, Life of Pi and Silver Linings Playbook. I’m starting to fall in love with this year in cinema.
David B.(Quote) (Reply)
Hello, I’m not new here. I’ve been checking your website out since last year, but this is my first time to comment on something.^_^ I went to see Argo earlier today, and I thought it was a well directed movie, great performances from the ensemble cast and possible best supporting actor nomination for Arkin or Cranston. I want AFFLECK to get an acting nomination,but I think the academy will give him a nomination for Director instead. I love every second of it especially the last 30 minutes, andI was biting my nails for gods sake. Awesome score by Alexandre Desplat, great pacing, cinematography, make up and costume design. It feels like the screenplay was written by Aaron Sorkin because of its dialogues,so I think the screenplay is a lock also. Argo is easily Affleck’s best film to date, it also ticks off a number of boxes on the Best Picture nominee checklist: grand scope, historical basis,and uplifting story of human triumph. I apologize for my grammar because English is my third language.^_^ Filipino/ Tagalog is my first language and French is second.
Ra(Quote) (Reply)
First of all, thanks for reading.
I loved the film as well. Its a lock for sure. Affleck in Actor can happen but he has lots of competition.
Clayton Davis(Quote) (Reply)
(SPOILERS) I generally liked it, but I had a mixed reaction. The film falters most when it forces itself into comic and thriller molds. I was worried that the film would play up the “isn’t this SUCH a wacky, harebrained idea” angle, and in the first act, especially the Hollywood scenes, it kind of does. And the third act is guilty of too much overt button-pushing; the film shoot preventing Chambers and Lester from crossing the street, the airport bus that ALMOST didn’t start, the discovery of the hostages’ true identity at the PRECISE right time…it all felt pretty artificial, which would be less of an issue if this weren’t ostensibly a true story.
Another fault I found was how thinly drawn the hostages actually were. I never really felt like they were particularly rounded as individuals, and the one with the most dialogue (Joe Stafford, I’m pretty sure) did little more than fret and grouse. By not developing the hostages as characters, the film undercuts, in my view, its own stakes and whatever level of emotional involvement the audience may have had.
With all that, I still thought it was a well-made film; Affleck’s direction isn’t outstanding, but the film moves smoothly, the suspense is decently well-managed (the script may be more to blame than anything else), it’s technically solid (some iffy CGI aside), and the acting is just fine. Affleck is muted, but that’s acceptable for the role of Mendez; Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman all do quite well, and I personally wish they had more to do. The rest of the cast do just fine, but they aren’t given quite enough to work with.
And that’s what I think might ultimately hurt the film’s Oscar chances; there’s no performance in the film to really latch onto. Arkin is being pegged as a contender, but he really doesn’t have THAT much to do; the acting is perfectly fine, but really, I find ARGO to be a solid thriller and not much more.
Perhaps what the film should’ve done is focused less on the suspense and more on the psychology of role-playing. One of the best scenes in the film comes when Stafford, confronted by Revolutionary Guards, takes out the fake storyboards and explains for them the plot of the film, evoking a genuine smile from the “director” of the fraudulent film. Playing these parts was a matter of life and death for these people; that was a theme the film should dug into deeper.
And maybe that’s why I didn’t love ARGO; it doesn’t have much real depth to it. It’s enjoyable, it’s well-made, but…there’s not too much at the core.
JamDenTel(Quote) (Reply)
Couldn’t agree more. The last thirty minutes of the movie were pretty frustrating for me because some of the situations felt so artificial. Its a good thriller, but not very deserving of any acting or screenplay nods.
yshark(Quote) (Reply)
I for one very much enjoyed Argo. The opening sequence involving the storming of the U.S. embassy was one of the best assembled sequences of the year, a real achievement.
However, I do not think that Argo is clearly superior to Affleck’s other two directorial efforts. Objectively, it would be impossible to assert absolutely that any one is superior to the others, so close are they in quality in every regard. Affleck is an exceptional director, a point which can not be made enough. Subjectively, for myself, both Gone Baby Gone and The Town struck some deep cords that Argo never came close to (except, possibly, in the opening sequence).
I suppose then my one reservation about Argo would be similar to that expressed in the last couple of paragraphs of JamDenTel’s post, as well as in several early critic reviews: the film just doesn’t seem to have a deeper core, in character, theme, or idea. There’s nothing to chew on for days after the film, unlike Affleck’s first two films, which both had some pretty provocative ideas and characters. This is especially surprising considering the politically and socially charged nature of Argo’s story material. Argo is first and foremost a suspense film, and as such its main impact is in the theater upon first viewing, sweating under the pressure and suspense crackling on screen.
Now, one last thing, much has been said about possible acting nominees from Argo. For my money, Scoot McNairy gave the best, most awards worthy performance. He owned every frame he was in, personifying the film through the stress and pressure exhibited by his character, and he even spoke Farsi while describing a science fiction film. Great stuff.
Steve Glansberg(Quote) (Reply)
I enjoyed it and had a fun time with it, I just wish there was more drama in the relationship between Mendez and the six. I mean, the only moment was when Mendez told them his name. I just wish I cared more about them. Nonetheless, good old fashioned thriller. Well balanced, nicely paced, well done. There just could have been more.
The Town > Argo > Gone Baby Gone
Alex L(Quote) (Reply)