Argo

The problem with Historical movies is that the audience already knows the ending. It is up to the director to solve that problem with pacing having faith that the story is strong enough that it does not matter. Director and star Ben Affleck handles this chore with ease and grace that will probably have his movie “Argo” in the Oscar race this year.-comovies

Don’t get the wrong idea. Argo is good. It’s just not great. The story, which is based on a real event, goes like this: On November 4, 1979, militants in Tehran, angry that the United States was protecting the deposed Shah after he fled from power, entered the American embassy and took hostages. Four hundred forty-four days later, the hostages were released. Miraculously, six Americans who worked in the embassy, four men and two women, escaped on November 4. They were given refuge in the Canadian ambassador’s home and a plot was hatched to get them out.-DM

From its very start, which details the start of a hostage crisis between Iran and the United States in 1979 through animated storyboard sketches for anyone who didn’t pay attention in their history class, Argo wraps its hands around your neck and doesn’t let go for the next two hours.-YAM magazine

The acting in Argo was, across the board, great.  But the real standouts, the real scene stealers, were the three primary supporting cast members; John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Bryan Cranston.  Alan Arkin plays the snarky, no-nonsense producer who backs the film and gives it the legitimacy it needs.  John Goodman is the jovial Hollywood/CIA contact, who with Arkin provides the majority of the films more lighthearted and fun moments.  Bryan Cranston, finally getting to utilize his dramatic potential in a role outside of television, plays the pragmatic, quietly intense CIA boss.  All three are fantastic, and each of them are a whole lot of fun to watch.-Firestorm

Yes, this might be our first Oscar worth movie off to a great start. Of course, some of us, hope Perks of Being a Wallflower will be in the Oscar race, as well.  This movie is jammed packed with a wonderful cast.

The people in the movie looked a lot like the real people who were in the reality of it, too. Make sure to stay for the credits.

If you want to see a really good political drama, here is your movie.

Argo is reminiscent of other Cold War era political dramas, most closely Stephen Spielberg’s Munich.  However, unlike the sprawling, event-filled Munich, Argo is an incredibly tight film.  It follows this one event, the exfiltration of six Americans from Iran, without any branching subjects or sidetracks.  This allows it be an extremely plot driven, cohesive narrative that covers everything about this event to the point that the audience walks away actually feeling a bit more knowledgeable, without losing any of it’s entertainment value.-Firestorm

The most noticeable thing about Argo —and this can’t entirely be the point —is that Ben Affleck, as a director, continues to grow into a confident helmsman. He trusts his actors (there’s not a weak supporting performance in the bunch), trusts the story, and doesn’t rush anything.-DM

storyline: In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans are taken hostage. However, six manage to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA is eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devises a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez creates the ruse and proceeds to Iran as its associate producer. However, time is running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House have grave doubts about the operation themselves.

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