Mission Controlled

Rating: 9/10 (13 October 2012)

This film is highly recommended.
Does history ever really change or just re-invent itself? It's November 4, 1979. The American embassy has been under attack by extremist groups. Six Americans are in the midst of the Iranian hostage crisis. They have temporarily escaped their captors and are being hidden in the Canadian embassy nearby. Time is running out before they are found. The American government is trying to remedy this volatile situation as fast as it can. ( Sadly, the ordeal would last 444 days after a failed attempt to save the other 52 hostages. )
Tony Mendez, one of the many C.I.A. officers on duty, devises a hare-brained rescue plan to help them escape: create a bogus movie, go into Iran as one of the film's producers, and leave Iran with the missing hostages in tow, posing as his Canadian film crew. It sounds completely over-the-top, but the plan is set in motion, all under the guise of working on a sci-fi movie called Argo. The truth is usually stranger than fiction, and in the real action thriller called Argo, solidly directed by Ben Affleck ( and based on declassified information ), this event did actually happen ( with a bit of real Hollywood tweaking in both scenarios).
The film begins with a mini-lesson about the history of the weakening U.S.-Iran relations via storyboard form before going to live action footage of the typical but topical angry mob scene that one could readily find on the cover of today's Newsweek or other periodicals. ( The old adage that history repeats itself is quite evident throughout the film and one of Argo's strongest points. ) As the director, Affleck's meticulous research and attention to detail can be found in every frame of this film. The costumes with its late 70's vibe, the vivid art direction, and the casting of actors with similar physical traits as the hostages ( except for a more handsome Affleck himself in leading man mode substituting for the more average looking real counterpart ), all of these elements blend perfectly into that era. ( Make sure you stay for the end credits to compare for yourself. )
At times, Argo seems to be two very good movies in one: it's one part comedy, one part action film. The early portion film concentrates on the film's origins as Mendez tries to establish some background history and fake publicity to authenticate a genuine Hollywood production in the works before the mission begins. Affleck incorporates Hollywood's faux- hipness very well, giving the film a marvelous satirical tone and rhythm. He gets some nice comedic performances by John Goodman as real-life make-up expert, John Chambers , and especially Alan Arkin as a completely fictionalized cagey producer, Lester Siegel . These two actors deliver their funny zingers with impeccable timing which attests to their fine skills as consummate pros.
Later, when the actual mission evolves, the film becomes a tense political thriller, even if you already know the outcome of the rescue mission. Affleck is a bit bland and overly stoic in this section of the film. Granted his role is less showy and the actor downplays his action figure status, but it is still a fine portrayal of a man who takes his job and the lives of his fellow Americans all too seriously. The film builds suspense subtly in its airport scene and the impact never seems forced or remotely stilted.
Special mention must also go to the insightful script by Chris Terrio. The screenplay is concise, the dialog is extremely well written, and its characters never grandstand or become preachy archetypes of the American ideals. All seem totally relatable and human, everyday people caught in an international quagmire.
Argo is one of the best films in this lackluster year. ( It's mid-October already and only 2 films have earned highly recommended status from me so far. ) The film resists the urge to be a more profitable bloody shoot-em-up tale for a younger movie-going audience and instead chooses to be an adult political espionage thriller whose excitement is in its character development and complicated twists and turns. In Argo, Affleck takes his mission to make a compelling and intelligent film very seriously too. Mission accomplished. GRADE: B+
ANY COMMENTS: Please contact me at: jadepietro@rcn.com