Affleck Takes A Big Step Forward

Rating: 9/10 (7 March 2017)

Over the years, I have given Ben Affleck a lot of crap. For whatever reason, I always saw him as the "second fiddle" to Matt Damon after "Good Will Hunting" and didn't give him much respect as either an actor or a filmmaker. With "Argo", however, I got a nice helping of crow, as Affleck proves to be more than a capable director, and in fact turns in an incredible effort.
For a basic plot summary, "Argo" deals the the Iran Hostage Crisis of the President Jimmy Carter administration. When all other ideas to extract the U.S. hostages being harbored by the Canadian Embassy in Iran fail, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) concocts the craziest idea yet: posing as a fake Hollywood production in order to get inside Iran and smuggle out the Americans.
The main reason this film works so well is because the direction from Affleck is superb. The movie contains action, tension, drama, and even some humor, all the while staying focused and "tight" (never losing track of the overall narrative). From the opening scene until the closing credits, the viewer is sucked into this story and never feels bored or let down.
The film also works as a bit of a history lesson regarding the United States and its relations with other Middle Eastern countries (Iran especially, obviously). Since those hostilities still exist to this day, the story of "Argo" does not feel old or outdated in any sense.
Also, Affleck is given a fine supporting cast to work with, including such talent as Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman, to name a few. Each of the cast members add a little bit of their distinctive talents to the overall production.
Thus, "Argo" is an extraordinary film for its ability to re-create the tension of the Iran Hostage Crisis. I never thought I would ever say this, but if I were voting in the 2013 Academy Awards, I would give the "Best Director" nod to Affleck over Steven Spielberg.