Review of Argo (2012) by Outsidein — 09 Nov 2012

Argo-Nuts!

Ben Affleck is the new Clint Eastwood, but better; not only is he the finest actor turned director, but he makes the barely moving Eastwood look like an emoting Brando bellowing 'Stella! at the foot of the stairs. Wooden is high praise indeed for his lead (or is it lead?) performance.

Argo is his third outing and manages to surpass The Town and Gone Baby Gone. Affleck loves tightly plotted, unflashy thrillers, and this 'true story' is the tightest, unflashiest bit of brilliance yet. I thought he would do a George V. Higgins first, but no. Someone less good did Cogan's Trade. The story is a barely credible account of how a CIA man - with Canadian help - rescued 6 Americans from wacky Iran in 1980. It is nail biting, re-creates the mood precisely, and features great non-performances from the cast - it almost plays as a documentary in Iran, but that is down to the skill of the cast and Affleck.

Walking off with the acting honors are John Goodman and Alan Arkin, who, back in La La Land, supply a fake Hollywood backstory for the escape. They are funny, sharp and add the spice that the rest of the film deliberately avoids like poison. The script is exemplarly, tight, believable, and compelling.

Films this good never win Oscars. They are not flashy enough, emotional enough, and they never do great box office. But they do win Blockies - my own awards.

I am nominating Argo for Best Picture and Affleck for Best Director. It has a shot at winning both, depending on how the rest of 2012 goes.