What is the difference between a mundane historical film on the Iranian hostage crisis and a box office success? According to the newly released Argo, the answer is director and lead actor Ben Affleck.
The movie centers on an incredible real- life tale; one that was hidden from the public for nearly twenty years. Six American Foreign Service workers who ducked out of the American embassy in 1979, as spiteful Iranian insurgents stampeded the few guards, deserved to have their story told.
Argo is a fantastically real adventure about an incredulous plan to save these victims of the Carter administration’s shaky foreign policy- with a fake Star Trek rip-off.
But this is more than a good story. Affleck spearheaded a great movie forged out of historical complexities formidable to any director (as films like Red Tales cloyingly tell us, a worthwhile plot doesn’t necessarily equate to a worthwhile film.)
He rediscovered his Good Will Hunting creative prowess with cleverly designed dialogue and cinematography. Argo blends historical accuracy with a sprinkle of artificial suspense; those watching because they misread the Avengers show times will not be disappointed.
The scenes followed the facts in coherence; each of the hostages, and Tony Mendez (the CIA Technical Operations Officer played by Affleck, the mastermind and instigator of the escape plan), were cleverly and accurately presented. Every encounter built logically onto the next. Argo portrayed a complex situation, but the vast array of perspectives displayed was chronological enough for my two historically deficient friends to comprehend.
Even more kudos go to Affleck and the production team for having kept my easily apathetic friends excited. The authentic 1980 news clips, the volatile images shaken by ruckus protest, and uncomfortably human reactions of the hostages forced us to feel the insanity of that period- 444 days of disorganized crisis that ruined a presidency and left countless American families in dismay.
Needless to say, I only have high marks for this film; I see at least one Oscar with Argo written on it. Even so, I’m ethically obliged to acknowledge those who may disagree with me; the Canadians and unwavering realists (I didn’t say it was a formidable opposition).
Some historians are kvetching, “well the rescue mission went smoother than Argo suggests.” To which I respond yeah- the relatively small amount of exaggerated suspense in the film goes a long way- it’s why some people even pay to watch it. Then again, if these historians were economically pragmatic, they would never have become historians.
In reply to the Canadians, who argue that Affleck didn’t do justice to their Ambassador Ken Taylor’s imperative role in the mission, I say yes- that’s a valid point.
But please stop raining on the Star Spangled parade. Just appreciate good filmmaking. Go watch the Might Ducks and let Argo fans appreciate their patriotic bubble. Ben Affleck deserves his moment in the spotlight; it was unfair of us to judge his whole career on a masterpiece he made 15 years ago- alongside Matt Damon. It’s not easy to seem successful when competing with Jason Bourne for cinematic credibility.
