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ARGO: Political Thriller with Dose of Fun
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© Warner Brothers, ARGO

Back to the film reviews! So glad they’ve been helpful to you. Receiving lots of feedback and doing my best to write ’em up for you before the holidays.

Have you seen the award-winning film ARGO?

Because it’s “based on a declassified true story”, we know the end of the story. Yet, while screening the film, at one point, my heart was thumping so loud I thought surely my husband was going to lean over and say, “Shhhhhh!”

There’s plenty of suspense in this political thriller. But it also manages to have fun poking fun at Hollywood along the way. The heart-racing happens across the water. The ha-ha happens in Hollywood; but not in a hilarity kind of way. It’s more like making fun of the nonsense that is our industry. You gotta laugh (especially if you work and live in the LaLa).

ARGO

ARGO is directed by and stars Academy Award® winner Ben Affleck and is produced by Affleck, Academy Award® winning actor/director George Clooney and Academy Award® nominated producer/writer Grant Heslov.

The official film synopsis reads as follows:
Based on real events, the dramatic thriller “ARGO” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis, focusing on the little-known role that the CIA and Hollywood played—information that was not declassified until many years after the event.

Not to give too much of the story away, (nothing more than what’s in the trailer), CIA specialist Tony Mendez devises an unbelievable plan to try and rescue six Americans during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-80. He’d creates a movie. The rest is history, (as they say)!

Elephant in the Room

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Ben Affleck.

Is it just me or do you still think “Bennifer” when his name comes up? And not for his wonderful marriage with actress Jennifer Garner since 2005, of which he has three beautiful children. But for the publicity-crazed, international circus that was his engagement to Jennifer Lopez from 2002-2004. By the time those two called it quits, we were all exhausted.

There is such a thing as over-exposure. And Ben got a backlash after “Bennifer”. Think Kim Kardashian and that 72-day marriage facade. Rejected! Such was life for Ben. Folks couldn’t take him seriously. He went from Oscar wonder-kid® who wrote Good Will Hunting with best friend Matt Damon to J.Lo’s music-video-player-relationship-road kill. His films suffered.

Ben had to slowly and meticulously work his way back through his directorial efforts. ARGO marks his third go in the director’s chair, and it looks like the third time’s the charm. If magazine covers are any indicator, it looks like he’s being dubbed as the hottest director since sliced bread. My latest Entertainment Weekly marks him as “Entertainer of the Year”. Not bad, huh?

Call It A Comeback

Hollywood loves a comeback, the underdog, someone who has to face insurmountable odds and overcome. That’s what ARGO is about. That’s the turn Ben’s life took after Bennifer. Folks look for, root for, yearn for redemption. Where is there life after death?

As Christians, we know redemption. We know life after death. We’re the comeback kids. In Romans 8, Paul describes the new life that we live through God’s Spirit, “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you…” Vs 11. We definitely identify.

One Caution, Maybe Two

Argo is Rated R for language and violent imagery. What film re: the government, military or Hollywood is made without F bombs? Is that true in reality? Do our military and government officials use more profanity than most? What about Hollywood producers? Good question.

Also, this film is based on a true story. The real CIA operative that Ben Affleck plays is Antonio “Tony” Mendez, whose memoir, Master of Disguise, is a basis for the film. Tony Mendez is of Mexican ancestry. (Tony’s interview: The Fascinating Story Behind Argo)

Was there no talented Hispanic/Latino actor available to portray the leading man? Javier Bardem, Benicio Del Toro, Andy Garcia, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Peña? Not one? Why did Ben Affleck (English, Irish, Scottish, German) feel the need to cast himself in the leading role in a story about a Mexican American?

People of color ask these questions because we know firsthand how few stories actually make it to the big screen about people of color. But when one such story does make it, it’s absurd to us that the person’s color is erased. It’s like Angelina Jolie being cast in A Mighty Heart as real-life Mariane Pearl, who is biracial and looks black. When I saw the kinky wig they put on Angelina to try to make her appear more ethnic, I was done. But, I digress.

ARGO Thrills

If you can look past reality and go on the journey with this dynamic cast that also stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Oscar® winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine), and John Goodman (Roseanne), then it’s a thrill ride with a dose of laughs along the way. Let me know what you think.

Onward & upward,
Naima

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My Recent Blog Reviews:
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© 2012 Naima Lett. All Rights Reserved