Although it blends its humour and tension very well, it ends up compromising to the point where it's just average. True or not, the ending doesn't satisfy what it builds up.

Rating: 7/10 (26 June 2013)

Ben Affleck has been slowly redeeming himself the past 5 years with his turn behind the camera with Gone Baby Gone, The Town and now Argo, one of the most hyped up films of the year to the point where it's a serious Best Picture contender. The only thing I think it potentially deserves is the screenplay which is excellent. But in execution, it's a really rough around the edges film, with (deliberately) sloppy cinematography and editing for the 70s feel, but it sacrifices tension and clarity too often. While it does a good job of delivering its exposition, sometimes it's at such quick pace that it's difficult to follow every piece. However, it does a great job of feeling both intimate and cinematic, feeling like a human story and a politically important story. I was very excited for this film earlier this year from the promo pictures and the promise of Bryan Cranston in second billing, but the trailer had me very worried that the thriller aspects and the comedy romp aspects would not gel together.
Fortunately, in the film, it's utterly seamless and they blend together very appropriately but it's the little parts that don't feel like they add up which hold the film back. Many times I was thinking "this could be even more tense." It is a very good film, but it does feel too middle of the road and playing it safe when it could've been bold. The climax was something in particular I found unsatisfying as they built it up a lot and never paid it off adequately. It does seem that Ben Affleck has been enjoying a lot of TV lately as it was fun to TV celebrity spot. Scoot McNairy is a particularly great performance and was completely invisible as I didn't recognise him from when I loved him in Killing Them Softly. Argo does have its merits and ties together very well, even if it never feels like it touches its potential. Lets not give Affleck too big a confidence boost just yet or he'll continue not fulfilling his potential.
7/10