Review of Argo (2012) by John M — 13 Mar 2014

Damn good. So back in 1979/1980, there was a conflict with Iran, and long story short, they ended up taking a number of American hostages from the U.S. embassy. Six managed to not get captured and sought shelter with some Canadians, and this is the story of a covert rescue mission to extract those Americans out of the country, under the ruse that they are Canadian filmmakers.

I was very excited about this because Ben Affleck is such a talented director, and he does not disappoint with Argo. You get a sense of tension right away, and the whole movie, you are constantly reminded just how high the stakes are.

One thing you may have not gotten from the trailer is that there is a lot of comedic relief, and it is welcome; almost everything John Goodman and Alan Arkin say in this is comedy gold, and they help to diffuse an audience that is sure to be on the edge of their seats.

I also want to give huge credit to this movie because it is the first movie I have ever seen where they actually give Bryan Cranston something to do; he is such an incredible actor, and I don't know why almost his entire film library doesn't utilize him better.

Ben Affleck continues to improve as an actor as well, and he anchors the film. This is a tight script that is filled with taut moments a plenty, and it all culminates with one of the best finales I have seen this year.

Because this is not a story many are overly familiar with, you don't know just how it is going to play out, and who is going to make it to the end, and that works greatly to the film's benefit.

This is one of the best movies of the year, and is a great, nerve-racking two hours.