Oh, Canada!

Rating: Null/10 (28 October 2012)

Dear Ben Affleck,
With "Gone Baby Gone", "The Town" and now "Argo" under your belt, I don't think anybody (mainly myself) can deny your prowess as a top tier filmmaker any longer. So, before I began with my actual review, I wanted to preface it with this short statement, which you should take as a letter of apology for every negative thing I've ever said about your filmmaking through the years, as well as a letter of forgiveness for "Gigli", "Jersey Girl" and "Daredevil"...well, maybe not "Daredevil".
Synopsis: Directed by Ben Affleck, "Argo" is a film which dramatizes the declassified true story (set in the late 70's/early 80's) of CIA agent Tony Mendez (played by Affleck) who spearheaded the insane plan to secretly extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of a revolutionary Iran, by posing as a fake Canadian film crew scouting a fake Canadian film (a "Star Wars" rip-off by the name of "Argo"). And while this synopsis sadly may not sound like it would translate into a compelling Saturday night date movie (especially to those who didn't live through the actual event, or to those who think purchasing tickets to see the newest Silent Hill film is a good way to spend their money) what puts it over-the-top/makes this premise sing, is the undeniably engaging combination of Chris Terrio's screenplay, which perfectly balances comedic scenes with ones of gritty wartime events (maybe the toughest thing to do in scriptwriting) and Affleck's spot on portrayal of late 70's Iran and America (at times using actual footage) showcasing a devastatingly provocative parallel to that point in history and the post 9/11 atmosphere in the United States, as well as his startlingly brilliant ability to take a rather simplistic resolution (final 45 minutes) and mold it into one of the most suspenseful climaxes in recent years.
The only real flaw I could see in "Argo" is that with such a wealth of great actors, and the movie primarily surrounding Affleck's character, for long stretches of the film actors such as Bryan Cranston (who in my opinion, has overtaken Stanley Tucci as the best character actor working today) John Goodman and Alan Arkin (who are all excellent in their roles) aren't really given much to do. My only wish (if this movie weren't already 2 hours long) would've been to see more scenes showcasing this strong supporting cast.
Final Thought: Aside from the fact that "Argo" may garner him an Oscar nomination, what director Affleck has done with this film, is shown his incredible Spielberg-esque ability to take a historical event, that may have come off as dry or utterly uneventful in other hands, and make it so every second of what's on screen, no matter how seemingly mundane or complex, is impressively compelling. If you haven't figured it out by now, what I'm saying is that everyone should go see "Agro" (as it is one of the best movies of the year so far) even if movies described as "historical dramas" immediately make you reply with the phrase: "so what else is playing?"
Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus