Perhaps Not the Best Film of 2012, But A Darn Fine Film

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2013)

A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.
Roger Ebert calls the film "spellbinding and surprisingly funny." He points to John Goodman and Alan Arkin as the source of the laughs (and this is undebatably true). David Edelstein concurs, saying, "Arkin and Goodman have the only colorful parts in Argo. The six fugitive Americans are like glorified extras." This brings up an interesting point: this is the story of how the CIA rescued six Americans, but not a story about six Americans who were rescued by the CIA. There is a second story in here that can still be told.
Ebert further writes that "Affleck is brilliant at choreographing the step-by-step risks that the team takes in exiting Tehran." I have followed Ben's career for almost twenty years, starting with "Mallrats" (1995), and this is the first time I have ever read the words "Affleck is brilliant". If this is the last time, I would hardly be surprised.
But seriously, Affleck's fall (the Bennifer years) have given way to Affleck's rise. Perhaps the only way he could get higher than he is right now is by giving up acting altogether and focusing solely on directing and producing. Because, for me, the biggest problem -- heck, maybe the only problem -- with "Argo" was that it starred Ben Affleck. His presence on screen always seems to have a layer of cheese just beneath the surface. (He wanted Brad Pitt for the part... and frankly, that would not have been any better.)
As I write this, Affleck has just won Best Director and Best Picture from the Golden Globes, and the film is a contender for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (with Affleck's directing not even nominated there). While I have not seen any of the other contenders yet (and am therefore merely speculating), I find these wins hard to believe. Certainly, the film and direction are quite good and worthy of nomination, but if this was the best film of 2012, I feel like we might have been shortchanged.
Although, perhaps I am being too harsh. We have here a story that is well-told, well-paced, well-acted... with elements of suspense, humor and enough realism to educate people about a time in American (and Iranian) history that perhaps is not as not "common knowledge" as it should be. There was no effort to throw in a forced, pointless romance. Exaggerations only existed where necessary to heighten the tension.
I will have to return to this after further thought and seeing other contenders to make a proper comparison. But one thing is for sure: all eyes will be on Affleck to see what project he chooses next.