Argo

Picture the scene: it’s 2004, you’re hanging out with some mates, showing off your brand new Nokia N-Gage (!!) and discussing that Lindsay Lohan girl that lately seems to be in all the gossip mags. Suddenly, one of your friends jumps up and says “have you seen that new Ben Affleck film? That thing is brilliant, you should seriously check it out”. Chances are that poor soul would have been met with guffaws all around, before being mercilessly cast out of your social circle.

But it’s not 2004 anymore. It’s eight years later, Lindsey Lohan’s a mess and nobody remembers the Nokia N-Gage. Oh, and guess what? The new Ben Affleck film – the one which he also happens to direct – really is brilliant and you should seriously check it out.

Argo is a CIA story so astonishing, it’s hard to believe it actually happened. Set during the 1979 occupation of the US embassy in Tehran, the plot sees CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) being tasked with “exfiltrating” six escaped embassy members from the Iranian capital. Except with the local authorities on the hunt for anyone holding an American passport, the solution Mendez comes up with is the most unconventional: with the help of some contacts in Hollywood, he poses as a Canadian producer location scouting for a fake sci-fi flick called “Argo” and has the embassy staff pretend they’re his film crew.  

Dealing with a true story that at times stretches serious credulity, you know you’re going to have issues with tone and style. Luckily, Benjamin has been paying attention in class and knows what films and directors to take inspiration from. The juxtaposition of the breezy, quasi satirical Hollywood segments and the kinetic, at times unbearably tense Tehran scenes make Argo come off as a fascinating crossbreed between Munich and Wag the Dog. Meanwhile, the choice of the source material shows Affleck is keen to follow in the footsteps of other actors/directors that have shown a keen interest for intelligent political thrillers, like George Clooney or the late Sidney Pollack.

It’s not perfect, mind. He may be maturing into one of the most intriguing directors working in Hollywood, but Affleck has yet to hone his skills as an actor. He does a passable job as the stoic protagonist, but you do get the nagging sensation that his beard is doing all the acting, while the rest of the talented supporting cast – particularly seasoned pro Alan Arkin and late bloomer Bryan Cranston – easily steal the limelight. Furthermore, there are times when the film lacks in substance, the various characters involved feeling less like characters and more like components to an intricate, although magnificently assembled structure.     

Which brings us to the final point: strip away the satire, the political heft et al and deep down Argo is a film about how, for once, the movies really did save the day thanks to their glamour and escapist appeal, which not even the sternest Iranian authorities were immune to, as the fraught finale proves. For that reason alone, Ben Affleck’s film deserves to be on any film buff’s viewing list.

4/5