Review for Argo
Well when I wrote the preview for Argo I was in the position of defending Argo because some people have said that Argo is good but not that good. I myself have felt that Argo is rather great but I don’t exactly see it on par Citizen Kane. Which actually is ironic because Citizen Kane went on to not win Best Picture whereas Argo just won Best Picture? But now with the Best Picture win for Argo, I am worried that some people might feel that Argo is really good because of the label of Best Picture linked with its title. Of course there are also many people who can see a movie and regardless of an award can independently judge whether or not a movie is worthy of high praise. Nevertheless, I will still explain why I think this movie can is great and can have a great reputation without the praise from the academy.
Well I will say that the movie is good because of many reasons:
The movie has the ability to really connect emotionally with audiences. You can feel Ben Affleck’s character’s frustration at the round table meeting trying to get a plan approved for the CIA cover up plan. You can feel the Hollywood producer’s easygoing lack of seriousness towards the structure of Hollywood. You can feel the Foreign Service workers stagnant and intense fear about their fate. The can feel the first hint of suspicion the housekeeper has when she suspects that her Canadian embassy employers are harboring Americans.
In terms of costumes, the movie is very accurate to 1970’s fashion: the trench coats, the prints, the tweed jackets, the large square sunglasses, etc. I once heard a director say in a DVD commentary that in period movie from a recent time period can be harder to show, because audiences are a lot more judgmental about such movies displaying accuracy. I definitely feel that this movie won the contest for fashion accuracy!
People want to believe that what they are seeing is in the 1970s, and so the same goes with set design as it does for costumes. People want to be lost in the world of the film, and nothing shows the world better than the art direction. In this movie, art production is no easy feat because 3 different worlds are shown: That of Iran, Washington DC, and Hollywood. Well, Hollywood was obviously a very believable set because my guess is that… It was shot in Hollywood! The studios and trailers all look rather believable! The rooms in the CIA looked like the engine room and where the “heart” chamber of the movie was. People were bustling talking on the phones, and the energy was palpable and vibrant!
The set of Iran was probably the most difficult to recreate. But from the walled houses with gates, with the market scene, and even to some of the gardens by people’s houses- the neighborhoods of Iran seemed realistic. On that note, the movie seemed culturally appropriate. Often you see movies about the Middle East where everyday people are not shown as everyday people. They are often showed in a mystified way- either as snake charmers, women in harems, and even terrorists. Ironically, when Ben Affleck is trying to get a visa into Iran from Turkey in order to make “Argo,” the man says, “Oh is this another orientalist classic you westerners want… with snake charmers…” It’s ironic because this movie… the making of Argo is not orientalist classic! But this showed everyday people in the market and on the streets. Yes, some of the people were revolutionaries- but not everyone- which was typical of the Iranian revolution and honestly most revolutions. There are only some radicals. I even loved the angry reaction of the stall keeper in the market who got angry when “Argo’s costume consultant” took picture- because it seemed authentic. Some might say that this is yet another representation of “the angry Middle Eastern man” in film. But I disagree. I felt that this was an authentic response since many people wouldn’t like their picture randomly taken!
My last remaining thoughts about what makes this movie good are the one liners and the last 30 minutes of this movie. My favorite one liner is, “You can teach a rhesus monkey to be a director!”
The last 30 minutes of the movie is really worth waiting for because it is an ultimate thriller! So I speak for the last thirty minutes and the entire movie when I say, GO AND SEE IT!!!
I thought that Argo was a superb movie (one of my favorites of the year), and was glad when it won Best Picture. It was a frightfully realistic depiction of Iran, from the mobs to the bazaar-with all of its heavy political oppression and turmoil. And, yes, the set design was incredible-with great period 1970s clothes! I was amazed that this plot was a true story, and that all of the intricacies came together for a successful operation. I have a lot of respect for this movie because it is of good quality, something very refreshing nowadays. Of course, I also liked how the movie featured an impressive American hero. Notably, I found an enticing quality about the movie to be its profound suspense. Even if you know how the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis ended, the exciting course of the movie still left you on the edge of your seat! In all, I highly recommend Argo!