tense, gripping and full of realism

Rating: 8/10 (15 November 2012)

I didn't know much about the Iranian hostage situation, and thought that this film was going to be about how the hostages in the embassy were rescued, but it turns out that this is about six hostages that escaped and were holed up in the house of the Candadian Ambassador. Ben Affleck plays the CIA hostage retriever/negotiator sent to Iran to bring them back under the tenuous guise of a sci-fi film crew.
I'm not a huge Affleck fan, or should I say I wasn't. In this - where he acts, produces and directs, he was brilliant. If he doesn't get at least an Academy nod for direction I'll be very surprised. The direction was tight, close and everything was done to increase the suspense and the tension. The whole style of the film was of the period (late 70s), with muted colours and even film logos were of the time, which was a clever touch, and wardrobe was great. It looked just like an old film! For a tense premise, there was some humorous moments and the audience reacted, which is always a good sign. Goodman and Arkin were so fun to watch, and Cranston had some hilarious lines - but he's an incredible actor in anything. Part of the tenseness of the film was - for me - that it was all so real. There were no SFX to speak of, everything was closely filmed and intimate; you were right there in the action.
The downside of this film is that it is very flag-waving American, and damning of the Islamic Community. Yes, this is true story and yes the Iranians did do all this but, and it's a big but, in the film's favour, it did narrate at the start how it all came about and that didn't put America in a good light. It was presented factually and whilst not in an unbiased way, obviously you are 'cheering' for the USA/Canada, and it was fairly balanced.
In the end credits - stay for them - the characters (the actors) are shown next to their real life inspirations. The only one that is not freakily similar is Affleck himself. As well as staying for the end credits, keep an eye out for a giggly extra in the car in the crowd scene. LOL! Overall a brilliant film, highly recommend both for style, content and realism.