Based on a true story about the Canadian Caper, Argo managed to hit everything that I look for in a film: comedy, drama, action, mystery, romance. Even though we know ultimately what happens at the end, the journey to the end was a roller coaster of emotions.
Ben Affleck (center) and supporting cast. Source: National Post
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Ben Affleck's acting. His character, real life CIA agent Tony Mendez, had so much depth and Affleck was able to portray it with so much emotion and intensity. All of the actors were so amazing in their roles, but I was most surprised by the acting of Scoot McNairy who plays Joe Stafford. At the height of the movie, his acting was what made me feel the tension of the situation.
Not every scene was supposed to be dark and intense, but those themes were incorporated so effortlessly and seamlessly that as a viewer you never ceased to forget what the movie was truly about. Comedic elements thrown in here and there in the movie lightened up the mood, but only for a split second and then you are drawn back into the dark reality of what really happened in Iran.
One touch that I appreciated was that Victor Garber was selected to play the role of the Canadian Ambassador to Iran. Ben Affleck mentioned how important he thought that a Canadian actor be the one to portray such an important Canadian figure.
Argo was filmed so realistically that for the length of the movie, I felt that I was one of those hostages and that I was fighting to survive in such a hostile environment. During the credits, they showed real pictures of what happened in Iran and I was amazed at how realistic those parts of the movie were, and this includes the make up and costumes.
If this film is not nominated for Best Picture or Best Director, then the other movies in those categories must be off the charts. Argo was simply a brilliant film.
Rating: 9.5/10
Definitely seems like a flick that more people admire for being a really good, true story, rather than being a really good movie. It’s not a bad flick by any means, but not as perfect as many people are praising it as being. Good review Debbie.
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