Puns are great. I like puns, you like puns (unless you're a pinko commie), and apparently movie producers, special effects artists and CIA exfil operatives do too! Throughout ARGO there is a running gag that involves the title of the science-fiction film that CIA specialist Tony Mendes (Ben Affleck) has concocted with Hollywood effects artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and movie producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) as a cover story to help Mendes get six US citizens in hiding out of Iran after Iranian extremists storm the US embassy on November 4th, 1979 in retaliation for the US's sheltering of the recently deposed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
If the first part of that paragraph didn't seem to match the second part all that well, don't be alarmed (unless you're into that)! One of the best aspects of Ben Affleck's third feature film (after GONE BABY GONE and THE TOWN) is the way it is able to balance tone. Throughout it's 2 hour runtime, the film balances itself between being being political thriller, Hollywood satire, and near the end (POSSIBLE SPOILER) almost a heist movie. Having that many different elements may seem like it would make for a very inconsistent and tonally confusing piece of work. But to his immense credit, Affleck is able to walk the tightrope beautifully. Comedic scenes are interplayed with various shots of brutality, but both work to their full potential, never feeling either inappropriate or off-putting.
When the film finally makes it to the final 20 minutes or so and moves into what I would argue is a third film genre, it continues to work beautifully, highlighting another one of the film's strongest suits -- the suspense. The final action set piece of this film is amazingly stressful in all the best ways (if you're a chronic nail-biter like me, wear gloves). Not many films can sustain that level of suspense for the amount of time ARGO does, especially seeing as the audience already knows how this is going to end. Granted there are some shockingly contrived moments that are there only to add additional anxiety, but they're not so egregious that you can't move past them.
However, this suspense does end with a bit of an anticlimax. Which leads me to my major problem with the film. It feels as if the entire work uses the fact that it's based on a true story as an excuse to play things safe. Although it is filled with awesome moments, it just never feels like it does anything risky. On the same point, trying to stick to the "true" elements, the film doesn't spend as much time as I feel like it should have on certain arcs including those of the six US embassy workers and the story involving John Goodman and Alan Arkin. All of these actors, including "The Danger" Bryan Cranston, are incredibly talented and it's a shame that they aren't featured more.
Most of the film is concerned with Tony Mendes. And this would have been fine, had Ben Affleck not cast himself in the role. I have never really been a fan of Ben (more puns!) as an actor, much preferring his directorial work. Likewise, in this film, though he has the most screen time, he is the dullest of the bunch. Throughout the film he feels like a non-entity, always taking a backseat when on screen with any of the actors mentioned above. There is one scene in particular that is just Affleck in brooding contemplation (one of his specialties) that almost grinds the film to a screeching halt.
While I really enjoyed it, I don't think ARGO amazing. It plays it too safe too often and seems far too concerned with it's "true story" integrity. I just think if you're going to clearly manipulate events to increase suspense, why not bend the rules a little more? That being said, ARGO is a solid film. It tackles both drama and comedy with remarkably adept skill and handles suspense brilliantly. The Alexandre Desplat score is very well done and combines with the incredible editing and cinematography to create a film that will most certainly be eaten up by Oscar voters (which you can take any way you want). Regardless of whether it does, however, you should still Argo see it. Do it for the puns!
