Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall
Director: Ben Affleck
Oscar History: 7 nominations/3 wins (Best Picture*, Supporting Actor-Alan Arkin, Adapted Screenplay*, Editing*, Original Score, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing)
Snap Judgment Ranking: 5/5 stars
I may be getting ahead of myself, though, since we haven't even had a chance to discuss the actual film at-hand, so let's rectify that situation. The movie, for those unfamiliar, tells the tale of what is popularly known as the Canadian Caper, a moment in 1980 when six Americans, through the help of both the CIA and the Canadian embassy, were able to sneak out of Iran and back to the United States. The six were not part of the original hostage count in Iran, and instead had left the embassy before the hostages were taken. The CIA, in a mission led in the film by Agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) create a cover for the six-that they are scouting a location for a cheesy science-fiction movie, and gives them all fake identities to get them through customs.
The first half of the film focuses on establishing Affleck's character, one of the "good guys" constantly in need of correcting his family life, rough around the edges, but his heart is in the right place. It's the sort of role that used to be played by Gene Hackman. The first half also gets all of the great, Hollywood-insider type lines. Since this is based on a true story, we get a real-life Oscar-winner (makeup maestro John Chambers) to show up in the form of John Goodman. Goodman's makeup artist, as well as Alan Arkin's mega-producer Lester Siegel (don't believe that one's a real person, but you can correct me in the comments if you'd like, or say who it's based upon), help Mendez to set up a movie, complete with a script, a producer's office, and fake press. It's an incredible part of the film, not just because you get to see some of the ridiculousness that goes into greenlighting a movie (gotta love that cheesy script read), but also because you get some terrific onscreen chemistry between Arkin and Goodman. I know that a lot has been said about Arkin's strong chances with the Academy, and I can see it (Supporting Actor loves nothing better than a cranky but smart old man), but I have to say that if they're going with Arkin, it seems unfair to skip Goodman as well; Goodman's career has not had as many great highs as it should have (probably because he's not the "leading man" type), but he's an excellent actor, and is clearly having a strong year in Hollywood. Perhaps a twofer would be a way to honor a superb and obviously well-liked character actor?
Anyway, back to the movie, and the even better second half of the film (also-gotta throw in the spoiler alert here). The second half is focused almost entirely on the caper of trying to get these six hostages out of Iran, with Mendez showing up for the six men and women and giving them their backstories to memorize, as well as trying to sell them on the idea that they need to leave the embassy. This is also when Affleck's acting instincts come fully into play. What we know, and seemingly the six hostages don't, is that the clock is running out whether or not the hostages are going forward with the plan or not-their identities are being discovered, and the pressure on the Canadians is growing exponentially to leave the country as well. However, Affleck's Mendez never indicates the impending doom, keeping an already agitated bunch of clearly intelligent, but frayed, people from completely losing their cool and then blowing the cover (which would mean execution for all six).
This entire act leads up to a nerve-wracking (in the best possible sense) series of scenes in the airport, where you hold your breath the entire time, waiting and hoping for the six to get through each customs point. Throughout the act, you are seeing alternating scenes with the great Bryan Cranston (seriously, the casting director on this film deserves some sort of nomination just for putting together this fine, era-appropriate ensemble), desperately trying to push everyone in the State Department all the way up to the White House to approve the mission, which in true Hollywood fashion had been called off the night before. The great part about this series of scenes is that, if you take a breath to think about it, there should be little to no drama for the audience. Even if you're not familiar with the Canadian Caper (being born years after the Iranian Hostage situation, I must admit that I was not), you have to assume that if they're making a movie on the subject, the people don't randomly die at the airport-what studio would possibly approve that sort of an ending? And yet, thanks to some terrific editing and sharp performances by Affleck and Cranston throughout those scenes, you are so immersed in the film that you don't have time to get outside the movie and think rationally. When the six men and women get out of Iranian airspace, I could see tears flowing not just onscreen, but all around my theater. Maybe even in my own glasses.
Affleck as a director, as you may remember, is a subject we have visited before. This is obviously a better movie than even the solid The Town, and perhaps Affleck's casual reference to Warren Beatty in the middle of the film is meant as wish fulfillment-though it's not quite up to the epic scale of Reds, this is equal to it in terms of quality, and a major stepping stone for Affleck as a director. Both men were dismissed as pretty boys in their early career, and while Beatty is the better actor of the two, both men made a strong transition over to director. Affleck's problem now is to not do what Warren did after Reds-essentially fall completely off the face of the earth for six years, and then make Ishtar. Getting a script from Elaine May could sound like a good idea Ben, but I'd avoid it for the time being.
I've gone through the plot, and particularly called out Affleck, the Goodman/Arkin chemistry, and the swell casting director, but I do want to highlight a couple more great points in the film. Rodrigo Prieto, who does the cinematography, does a spectacular job of creating that classic 1970's vibe (the film that most comes to mind is Z, which admittedly was from the tale-end of the 1960's, but it profoundly influenced film of the 1970's). Not only does he get that great "FYC" ad during the end credits, but the entire movie has that gravelly brown and burgundy sort of look that instantly recalls the more evenly paced films of the 1970's.
Finally, I do want to address the obvious political implications of the film. Affleck is a noted liberal in Hollywood, and it's worth noting that President Jimmy Carter plays a crucial offscreen role throughout the film. In a world of political opportunism, it's refreshing to realize that a President Carter did not politically capitalize on this daring feat of national ability. It's quite possible (at least in the confines of the film and within the confines of common sense) that Carter would have gained greatly from revealing the CIA's involvement in this particular incident, rather than putting the credit solely on Canada. It may have even gotten him reelected in 1980, when the Iranian Hostage Crisis almost assuredly cost the President the White House. Carter himself does a voiceover at the end of the film (it's not entirely clear whether or not the president was doing this specifically for the movie or not, but it seems that way) essentially pointing out this exact same thing. It's an interesting study of history, and in a film that's dominated by one man's (Mendez's) actions in what he knows to be right, you also see Affleck reminding us that there was another man (Carter) moving heaven and earth to try to do what he thought to be right.
And that's all for me on Argo for now, but with a great movie, there's lots more conversation to be had, so what say you of this fine film? Do you think that Affleck is best behind the camera, or do you like him taking the dual roles? How do you think that the film blended its politics with its story? And, in the obvious vein of this blog, what are its Oscar chances?
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