DVD Review #49 ARGO With Talking Flick Podcast Appearance 2019

Argo (2012) Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Directed by Ben Affleck

"This is the best bad idea we have, sir. By far."

Seven years ago I gave Argo a strong 7.0 on the Shawshank Scale, a scale that favors films rewatchability factor. I ranked Silver Linings Playbook 7.5, Life of Pi 7.0, Slightly ahead of Argo 7.0 in my top ten, a recent guest appearance on the wonderful podcast Talking Flick (Links below) has given me the opportunity to revisit my initial thoughts and take another look at this classic. Argo was nominated for (7) Academy awards in 2012 and won Best Picture. 

Director Ben Affleck, Writer Chris Terrio, Editor William Goldenberg and casting director Lora Kennedy all do an amazing job crafting a near flawless film that interweaves crazy late 70's Hollywood with the Iranian Hostage Crisis (a stranger than fiction based on real events story).  I forgot how incredible this film really is, it is a joy to watch again. Tony Mendez (played reasonably well by Affleck) is a CIA agent tasked with extracting (6) Americans that were lucky enough to slide away while nearly 60 other Americans were taken hostage. To do this Mendez recruits the help of Hollywood contacts (Goodman and Arkin at their near best), they stage a film and Mendez travels to Iran to conduct his crazy Exfil plan. This film is really 2 maybe 2.5 films in one, the Iran stuff, the Hollywood stuff, and the fake suspense stuff, but they all go together seamlessly. Like All the Presidents Men or Spotlight, I really feel like this is a film you can slide into 10 minutes in, 20 minutes in, and you will want to finish it. I think back in 2012 I knocked Argo down a peg because it felt too close to Hollywood, maybe it felt like it was pandering a bit, but now removed from that Oscar race and free of the love I felt for Silver Linings Playbook (who I was rooting for  Best Picture) I can appreciate much of what I may have overlooked seven years ago. For example the casting is incredible, Tate Donovan, Scoot McNairy, Kerry Bishe, Kyle Chandler, Kerry Bishe, and Bryan Cranston along with many many others (Bob Gunton the warden from Shawshank!) all do so much with their small amount of screen time. Affleck deserves credit for making a wonderful film that I believe will stand the test of time.  SEE IT AGAIN!

(The Shawshank Scale 1-10) So seven years is a good amount of time, certainly this film has been more rewatchable than Life of Pi (still a lovely film by Ang Lee who won Best Director). The great writing and expert casting really seal the deal and allow me to bump the 2012 7.0 rating to a 2019 7.5 rating and put it neck and neck with Silver Linings Playbook (still holds up also). I think Alan Arkin was robbed of Best Supporting Actor and Affleck at minimum should have been nominated for Best Director. Argo is an absolute crowd pleaser and will be having a long run on cable and streaming for years to come.

Ranking the Top 5 Ben Affleck films (cause why not!):

1. Good Will Hunting (He won his 1st Oscar here, it is in my Top Ten of all time and still holds up)

2. Argo (Affleck puts all of his skills together in an expertly made film)

3. The Company Men (This small film wasn't seen by many, but should've been)

4. Clerks/Mallrats/Dogma/Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith really knows how to use Ben)

5. Live By Night (He is trying hard here, comes up a little short but still a solid film)

And the 5 Worst (cause I have to!):
 1. Paycheck (Yes worse than Gigli)
 2. Gigli (Bad, yes, but not as bad as Paycheck)
 3. Pearl harbor (I really didn't like this movie)
 4. Reindeer Games (Awful, Charlize Theron couldn't save it)
 5. The Sum of All Fears (The worst Jack Ryan film...ever)

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY GUEST APPEARANCE ON TALKING FLICK!

Talking Flick Podcast on Anchor Link    (The Argo Episode)
Talking Flick Podcast on iTunes Link    (The Argo Episode)