You’d better put your masseuse on speed dial, because dir. Ben Affleck is back with another crazy-tense thriller. After Gone Baby Gone concluded that we’re tied to our environments, and the rags-to-riches actor-director elaborated on the dichotomy with The Town while paying service to his native Boston, Affleck broadens to an international scale with the stranger-than-fiction story of a rescue mission built around a fake sci-fi movie production. But, keen to establish himself as an auteur, the same themes (and some notable motifs) are carried across.
An opening introduction sets the political backdrop for the Iranian hostage crisis at the end of the 70s. Refusing to condemn those who stormed the American embassy, it instead presents the event as inevitable response to sustained provocation. This is no good vs evil patriotic wankfest, but nor is it outright self-critique. We badly want the rescue to be successful because it would be a symbolic victory for humanity over the mob mentality, bureaucracy, fear and violence in general.
The fake movie part of the premise takes less of the stage than you might expect, but aside from bringing some big laughs it allows for some wonderful meta-discussion. Whilst pretending to be on a location scout to reinforce their cover, the six de facto hostages and Affleck’s CIA Agent are shown round a market. Their guide asks them if they’re making a “funny movie”, a fish-out-of-water comedy of cultural misunderstandings, a moment which reinforces the tragedy of the reality. It also draws into question the representation of Iranians (and other foreign cultures) in Hollywood movies and the American media, including Argo itself.
With the camera extremely tight to the characters throughout (claustrophobia which defies the widescreen) and a uniformly excellent cast doing a lot with relatively small screen time (especially Bryan Cranston, his best work in a decade), it’s a very effective thriller, as evidenced by the audience I saw it with – swept from cold silence to bursts of laughter and back and forth before ultimately drawing spontaneous applause (not even the contagious kind). There are moments which are played out to hit the formula but which you can’t help but forgive. The movie’s crowd-pleasing credentials will surely offer it hope come awards season but, no mere Oscar-bait, it’s an intelligent film with pertinent theme that outlives the narrative, as it’s done twice before. The mature realisation of a sublime trilogy from Affleck.
“especially Bryan Cranston, his best work in a decade” I haven’t seen the movie, but you’re saying it’s better than his work on Breaking Bad?
Yep, though that was just a cheeky counter-hype dig. I think he’s great in BB but his best work is through Malcolm in the Middle. Here, you get his acting style throughout but it’s beautifully economical. When you get an expression for just a second before the camera cuts away, not many actors can handle that but it plays out really well, very effective on an emotional level.
Are you caught up on BB, by the way?
I am. I now join the masses impatiently awaiting its return.
Rest of the cast was great too, considering even Affleck’s screentime wasn’t massive. A lot of cameos from character actors, some from The Town. Arkin and Goodman bring the laughs perfectly. And this is the second recent film with Scoot McNairy that will doubtlessly be in my annual top ten.
Whatley the dentist! Hehe. I’m on Breaking Bad series 2 episode 1. Saw Argo’s trailer at the cinema recently. Affleck looks ok in a beard! The film looked decent to boot. Keep my eye on it…
BB was good but malcom in the middle was a cultural and media revolution.
Was Malcolm in the Middle really successful and popular in the UK for some reason?
It used to air right next to The Simpsons at its peak, so viewership can’t have been bad. But I’ve been watching a lot of it recently and I’m amazed at how well it holds up. It’s in my top 5 sitcoms I think.