Oscar-winning ‘Argo’ makes fact as thrilling as fiction
With “Argo,” Ben Affleck surprised many people as a filmmaker by immediately furnishing a surefire Oscar nominee for best picture. It ultimately went all the way in that contest, winning the top honor for 2012, along with Academy Awards for adapted screenplay and film editing.
Turner Classic Movies presents the fact-inspired picture very early on Monday, May 1, to help wrap up the salute to the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. that has run throughout April on the channel. By the time “Argo” was released, Affleck had proven his directing ability with “Gone Baby Gone,” then the even more ambitious crime caper “The Town,” but he surpassed those in detailing the rescue of several escapees from the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran.
Six people are able to get out of the American Embassy there, finding shelter with the Canadian ambassador (played by Victor Garber, alias the father of Affleck’s ex-wife Jennifer Garner on ... well, “Alias”). The mission is to extract those six Americans from Iran safely, and the job is taken up by the CIA operative played by Affleck. He devises a plan to disguise himself and others as a fake movie crew preparing an intentionally bad sci-fi movie called “Argo” and scouting locations for it – the supposed reason they’re in Iran, though it’s really to get those Americans out.
One thing Affleck has proven himself especially good at, and generous with, is giving showy roles with plenty of meat to his co-stars. He certainly did that in “The Town” with Jeremy Renner, whose star rose considerably for his work as an edgy criminal.
In “Argo,” Affleck provides the same sort of impact for two familiar performers: John Goodman, who’s just terrific as John Chambers, the veteran movie makeup man who was pivotal in turning humans into simians in the original “Planet of the Apes”; and Alan Arkin as a film producer who’s seen and done it all in the business.
Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Richard Kind (“East New York”) and Bob Gunton are among the other familiar faces on hand, proving that being in the ensemble of a compelling story has the potential to reshape an actor’s image and career. Affleck has been there himself, and it’s thrilling in this case to see him apply the professional lessons he’s learned.
He certainly does that in “Argo,” clearly one of the best movies of its year ... and one that was heard from quite loudly during the related film-awards season.