Based on a true event from recent
history, Ben Affleck's Argo chronicles an undercover CIA operation which
was unheard of by the people of the world until a decade ago. The film
is precise, accurate and has a no-nonsense approach in telling a story
that reinforces the old saying that truth is stranger than fiction.
The film begins in 1979 when Iranian revolutionaries invade the US embassy and take several Americans hostage. However, six of them manage to escape and find refuge at the official residence of the Canadian ambassador to Iran. The group, hunted extensively by the revolutionaries, only have a limited time before they are found, tried and executed. Meanwhile, in the US, the government and CIA are planning an escape route. After a few ridiculous suggestions, they decide to go through a rather uncanny and astounding plan put forth by exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck). He proposes a plan that involves making a bogus Canadian film to be shot in Iran and the six refugees to pretend as the film's pre-production crew. Tony invents a rich, foolproof backstory with a little help from his friends in Hollywood and sets off for the suicide mission.
The film begins in 1979 when Iranian revolutionaries invade the US embassy and take several Americans hostage. However, six of them manage to escape and find refuge at the official residence of the Canadian ambassador to Iran. The group, hunted extensively by the revolutionaries, only have a limited time before they are found, tried and executed. Meanwhile, in the US, the government and CIA are planning an escape route. After a few ridiculous suggestions, they decide to go through a rather uncanny and astounding plan put forth by exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck). He proposes a plan that involves making a bogus Canadian film to be shot in Iran and the six refugees to pretend as the film's pre-production crew. Tony invents a rich, foolproof backstory with a little help from his friends in Hollywood and sets off for the suicide mission.
What works for Argo, named
after the fake movie that the operation is built upon, is its tight
screenplay. It welcomes you into its premise from the first moment,
where the history of Iran and its ties with the US are explained through
an illustrated storyboard and then, it pulls you right into the action
as the file footage intersperses with the film's footage. And before you
know it, the embassy is ransacked. The well-crafted scenes leave no
room for irrationality and thanks to the subtle treatment, there are no
traces of over-dramatising an event, that is thrilling on paper itself.
Ben Affleck is wonderful in his part as Tony Mendez. Alan Arkin and John Goodman as Lester Siegel and John Chambers respectively, provide the comic breathers required in an otherwise engaging narrative. Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham and Kerry Bish portray the six American refugees and contribute well to build up that almost makes you want to scream for help.
For a mainstream action thriller, Argo excels uninhibitedly and is perhaps one of the better films made this year. Impeccable performances that flavour up a soup of intense scenarios and the unflinching attention to detail in recreating a period, only enhance the aroma. All in all, Argo is a brilliant pot of fresh and juicy ingredients kept on fire. Eat it while it's still hot.
Ben Affleck is wonderful in his part as Tony Mendez. Alan Arkin and John Goodman as Lester Siegel and John Chambers respectively, provide the comic breathers required in an otherwise engaging narrative. Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham and Kerry Bish portray the six American refugees and contribute well to build up that almost makes you want to scream for help.
For a mainstream action thriller, Argo excels uninhibitedly and is perhaps one of the better films made this year. Impeccable performances that flavour up a soup of intense scenarios and the unflinching attention to detail in recreating a period, only enhance the aroma. All in all, Argo is a brilliant pot of fresh and juicy ingredients kept on fire. Eat it while it's still hot.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 20, 2012
It was good, that’s for damn sure, but there also felt like something was missing from the final-product to really take us by storm. Everybody’s fun to watch and the movie has it’s tense moments, but overall, it’s not as exciting when you know the out-come beforehand. Nice review Omkar.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dan. You are right in saying that a little excitement is lost when the outcome is known beforehand, however, the thrill introduced from anticipation and the feeling of "oh get there already, for god's sake!" is hair raising on occasions. You know what's going to happen. The fun, here, is in finding out how.
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