Review of Argo (2012) by Zack M — 24 Sep 2015

Argo is a political thriller that was released in 2012 and directed by Ben Affleck. The film follows Tony Mendez (Affleck), a CIA exfiltration specialist, who is put in charge of rescuing six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, during the Iran hostage crisis that occurred in late 70's and into the early 80's.

In order to preserve the suspense and awesomeness of Argo, I will not go into any further details regarding the plot. This is a movie that one should watch with no knowledge of what is going to happen throughout the course of the film.

Really, there honestly is not much I can say about this movie that has not already been said. It is utterly fantastic on every level.

The direction of the movie by Affleck is phenomenal. It is rather difficult to fully put a movie that is set in an earlier time frame (Late 1970's) on camera, while directing in a different year. Affleck, however, was able to accomplish that task and created an accurate representation of his intended time frame. Each scene was carefully executed and all of the details in the background such as the style of the rooms, the televisions used, the character's outfits and hairstyles, were spot on. There was no object that looked out of place.

Affleck did a commendable job and actually surprised me as an actor. I had no idea he was that talented. Perhaps seeing him in Daredevil at an early age turned me away from him but recently, he has emerged as one of my favorite people in the movie industry. Cannot wait to see him in Batman vs. Superman.

Another positive about Affleck's directing is the fact that he was able to create a spellbinding story that built tension gradually over the course of the film. All of that tension was put to great use in the film's finale and he literally had me screaming at the television by the end of the movie. I mean, wow. It is mesmerizing how each one of the scenes builds off one another and there are no "wasted" moments.

Most thrillers nowadays fail at sustaining tension throughout the course of the film and instead, rely on two or three scenes that are way over the top. Props go out to Affleck for knowing how to direct an effective thriller.

The editing of the film was phenomenal as well. Everyone involved in the production of the film made sure that the cuts to the next scene and camera switches were perfectly executed. Every scene fit seamlessly together with the next and there was no choppiness.

The casting of Argo was also tremendous. I mean Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman all did spectacular jobs and added a substantial amount of humor to the film. The jokes were subtle and dark but were absolutely hilarious. Most of the credit for that goes to Arkin, who played Lester Siegel, a Hollywood director. Every one of his lines was carefully crafted and he was such a great addition to the movie.

As for the other two, viewers sort of know what to expect from them. John Goodman is well... John Goodman. He does great in every role and people know his style.

But seriously. Bryan freaking Cranston. That guy can act and continues to blow my mind in every movie he stars in. He does such a great job at balancing the seriousness of his character but also rewards the audience by having a few snarky and hilarious lines.

Finally, Alexandre Desplat's score was entrancing. The music fit so well with the scenes and often added to the overall tone of the movie. Never was the music distracting or unnecessarily loud. When the tension was building, the score built as well, adding to the overall excitement and anticipation of the movie.

While there are controversies regarding the film, Argo still managed to go above and beyond my expectations for a political thriller. Affleck created a beautifully directed masterpiece that is filled with tremendous acting performances from himself, Goodman, Arkin, and Cranston. This is a movie that everyone should see at least once in his/her life.