“Maybe I should remake Phantoms?”
Ben Affleck the director shows remarkable discretion that is the polar opposite of Ben Affleck the actor. Maybe the former should start selecting projects for the latter, or better yet replace him?
Based upon a true story, Argo tells the tale of an audacious and especially dangerous extraction of American citizens from perilous and bloodthirsty Iran in 1979, already angry at the US interference with their leadership from one dodgy complacent bludger of a leader to the Ayatollah Khomeini, a far more ruthless man who incites his people to the brink of violence.
The opening scenes in the film show with shocking effect just how a noisy student protest can suddenly morph into a hostile incursion of the US embassy, leaving those inside with the unenviable decision of either remaining to destroy documents that might sully the US image in the wrong hands, or to turn and flee.
As history shows those that remained behind were taken captive and held for months with the omnipresent threat of summary execution hanging over them, while the 6 that opted to let their feet do the talking ended up in a safe haven of sorts at the Canadian ambassador’s residence.
In the early stages the 6 Americans are not missed, but with young Iranian children charged with piecing together shredded documents and personnel records it seems only a matter of time before their absence is discovered and inevitable Iranian reprisals.
With the US public already predictably calling for Middle Eastern blood the various government bodies hastily meet and sketch out potential plans to extract their people before they are discovered and without the need for soldiers and violence that might lead to conflict.
Bad ideas are thrown about with no real conviction, the ‘least shitty’ of them being forming a fake film crew scouting for locations in Iran and smuggling the 6 out with them. Tony Mendoza (Affleck) is both the proposer of the idea and the man charged with carrying out the plan under the watchful eye of his superior Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston).
It is agreed that having decided on a fake movie that there need be more than a title and a fake backstory, so Mendez travels to Hollywood to speak to some of the real wheelers and dealers in the industry to select a script, commence a production company and staff and scout for ideal for locations for the film. A film that would never be made. A film called Argo.
Argo was an actual script that on the surface appeared to be another Star Wars clone with fabulous creatures and spaceships in an exotic space setting, with the deserts and marketplaces of Iran being potential shooting locations. With makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and brash and domineering producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) on the payroll to add authenticity Mendez travels solo to Iran on a recce mission under a Canadian passport.
Once in Iran he must deal with dubious locals, reluctant extractees and ever diminishing time that becomes even more urgent once the Iranians realise that the headcount is a few short. Meanwhile back in the States O’Donnell is being pressured to show results and other factions are lobbying for alternate – and more direct – courses of action.
Affleck takes a story where we all know the ending (it’s openly discussed in every interview and article about the film) and expertly ratchets up the tension as the race goes all the way to the wire, while injecting quite a bit of unexpected humour into proceedings – most of it from the ‘real Hollywood’ duo of Chambers and Siegel.
To be honest while I found a lot to like about Argo it didn’t knock my socks off like the buzz and review snippets suggested it would. Sure it’s another very good film to add to Affleck’s so far unblemished record, but I put it on par with The Town, another good film that never scaled the Great heights Gone Baby, Gone did about five years back.
Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. I really like this film, it’s well made, clever and rewards the patient viewer. I also heartily recommend that all adults check it out. But Best film of the Year? Nope.
