a heart-pounding drama that engages emotionally and reminds us how great cinema can be

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2012)

When film is done right, it can be an all encompassing experience; appealing to the eyes, engaging to the ears, and getting your heart to race uncontrollably. We forget where we are, what time it is, who is sitting next to us. All we can focus on is the images that flash across the screen and the sounds that enter our ears.
Even more engaging is a story about true events. A story that is historical and based on facts that has us aware that what we are seeing is something that has actually happened. Even if dramatized to some or great degree, we are drawn to films about real people and real events.
And if you agree with what I am saying here, I'm sure you will also find that Argo is the complete movie-going experience.
Directed and starring Ben Affleck, Argo is the true story of a secret CIA mission to rescue six U.S. embassy members in hiding after an uprising in Iran in 1979. Starting off with the events of the uprising all the way through the heart-pounding moments of the rescue mission, Argo is a thrill ride of emotions that will have your eyes glued to the screen and your body begging you to take a breath.
Bringing together an incredible cast including Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and many other talented performers, Argo contains some very powerful performances that act as the life blood of the film. This is not a simple bang through the door, grab the hostages, and escape film. It is a tactical and precise mission that involves real people that we come to care about. Real people that we feel for, care for, and pray for as the events of the film transpire. And without the brilliant acting by these performers, we would not nearly invest as deeply as we do.
With that powerful acting comes the direction and writing in Argo. Affleck is not only brilliant as Tony Mendez, he is a brilliant director that has shown his skills in the past (The Town) and truly comes into his own with Argo. If you would have told me Ben Affleck was directing films five years ago, I would have laughed at you. But it is absolutely no joke. His careful precision, building of tension, and experienced setups, placements, and execution is that of a veteran in the film world who absolutely knows what he is doing. You can easily start to rank Affleck as one of the directors we can most look forward to seeing in the future. Especially if he keeps getting material as good as Argo.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/argo/