Review of Argo (2012) by Marcdoyle — 13 Oct 2012

I'm sure it was difficult to weave an element of comedy in with the dramatic and the thriller aspects, but Affleck does it well. The movie is not as dramatic or as impactful as The Town, but for a movie based on true events, with its limiting nature, it's one of the best I've seen.

They effectively establish 1980 Iran as a truly horrific place, and by doing this, the escape sequence made me feel as if my heart were going to beat out of my chest. For a movie like this, that's a good sign.

Goodman and Aarkin are outstanding. As a side note, I wish the trailer had been a bit less comprehensive because most of the best and funniest lines I'd seen before. This is obviously true of many movies - you have to sell the darned thing - but it was glaring here.

"If I"m going to make a fake movie, I'm going to make a fake hit!" Yes, it's funny, but I'd seen it 10 times before going in. Finally, the fact that this movie was released within weeks of the Libyan embassy murders made the opening sequence all the more chilling.

I don't mean to suggest the movie was better because of the timing visa vis the deaths of civil servants, but it made the film even more relevant. Bottom line: it's not high art, but it's very entertaining.