Critical Recommendation: Argo

Underlying attitudes about anyone and anything can reveal a lot about a person, and I'm far from an exception. Take the name James Gunn, for instance, a name that immediately emotionally asphyxiates me with the impression of a talented filmmaker who limits himself to repeatedly telling pulp fiction and stigmatized superhero stories. And when someone mentions Ben Affleck, Batman is the first thing or person that comes to my mind, and not a particularly inspired version of the character, at that - either the fault, the oversight, or the mere vision difference of Affleck. What doesn't come to mind, at least as far as Affleck is concerned, is a Best Picture-winning historical drama that has been unfairly forgotten in recent years. 2012's excellent Argo, both directed by and starring Affleck, is two things at once: a stylish and entertaining historical thriller on one hand, and an unabashed celebration of cinema on the other. Both hands have a firm grasp on an admirable goal, and Argo walks a brilliant line between being entertaining thrills and thoughtful drama. In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was stormed by a mob of angry militants, and over sixty American employees working there were taken hostage. But amidst the chaos, six workers managed to slip through the tightening grasp of the enraged Iranians, and it was only a matter of time before the U.S. government called on Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist, to work his magic on the quickly deteriorating situation and get their employees out of Iran. Mendez's cover? Argo, a science fiction epic that doesn't even exist being location-scouted in Iran by six unknown "Canadian employees" bearing an odd resemblance to a particular group of workers. The government saw potential in the plan, and thirty-three years later, so did Hollywood.

Argo has the eye of an architect assembling a collage dedicated to the 1970s. From its use of the classic Warner Bros. logo to its incorporation of various pieces of art to convey necessary exposition, this movie is out to grab your attention and keep it, and it does a commendable job of combining art with action instead of pitting the two ideas against each other for whatever reason. It is eye-popping, but also thoughtful and purposeful - its colorful, unpredictable, and expressive stylism takes it places. I've come to critique movies based on how well they accomplish what they set out to do, and Argo executes its historical thriller trappings with a competent flair. What's more, this movie is shot on 35-millimeter film anytime Tony is in California, but switches to 16-millimeter film for the duration of his foray into Iran; the visual dissimilarity is suitably startling, but both looks evoke an interesting and visually appropriate 70s-esque atmosphere. Argo also incorporates a substantial amount of archival news footage from the time, which lends credibility to the film. The spectacular production design on display doesn't hurt it at all, either. The budget of Argo was slightly lower than the average Hollywood movie, but its sets nevertheless manage to look expensive without feeling self-indulgent.

Visually, Argo is perfectly flamboyant. But abstractly, it's a movie with a beautiful simplicity that belies its enormous scale and globe-trotting scope. A weighty pause, an awkward silence on a phone call sans exposition, and Tony's on-the-rocks marriage with his wife is laid out for all to see with beautiful, heartbreaking subtlety. Many emotionally intelligent scenes, such as this one, do the movie many a favor - it is truly one of the best films I have seen in the last year. The entire cast of Argo is excellent, but nowhere do the true-to-life characters shine more than in the relationship between Affleck's Tony and one of his associates, Alan Arkin's Lester. Both men are interesting characters, precisely because of their extreme emotional contrast. Tony is subtle and understated, while Lester is anything but.

Think of this less as the icing on top and more as the fundamental layer of the cake: the pacing of Argo is simply spectacular. Every subplot reaches its boiling point at the same time. Our heroes are poised to make their escape at the same time as those who wish them dead are about to discover their identities, and the entire movie comes down to the wire in ways both quiet and urgent, subtle yet naturally nerve-wracking. This movie is one thing after another after another threatening to go wrong and then barely going right, and the less-than-subtle insinuation is that if only one thing goes wrong, it means death for both Tony and every American under his protection. Argo is dangerous when it needs to be, without ever drawing attention to that danger in ways that are artificially overpowering. It moves with the precision of a viper and strikes like one, too. It's both as light as a feather and as heavy as a boulder.

One of my favorite things about Argo is that it manages to be simultaneously flamboyant and restrained. It captures both the scale of the world that Tony and his protectees operate in, with its globe-trotting aspirations, and the complexity of the human heart, especially Tony's long-distance relationship with his son, all in a picturesque and precise snapshot. It's a political thriller, yes, but it's also a fun political thriller, infused with a jolting amount of urgency that keeps it feeling dangerous, even if it may not be the most action-packed movie ever made. What it is instead is both one of the best political or historical thrillers I have seen in recent memory and a heartfelt love letter to cinema composed of words both strangely sweet and somewhat sinister. It moves with the assuredness that only the best thrillers possess, and even if it has largely been forgotten as far as Best Picture winners go, it shines brightly even without the spotlight once you take the time to look, a testament to great filmmaking if there ever were one by my account.

Argo - 10/10

Jeremiah 22:3-5