I have always respected Ben Affleck as a director in comparison to Ben Affleck the actor. Most movies where Affleck has been in the lead role have exposed his weakness. I can think of probably one movie where his performance as an actor was quite controlled and well executed – Valentines Day (if I remember correctly).
But the minute our man dons the director’s hat, he seems to be much better placed. I thought The Town was slow but it was quite well made. There was an effort to paint a picture with each character and the overall story. Ditto with Gone Baby Gone. Both were very intense movies.
I have heard that both Affleck and Matt Damon – the young guard of Hollywood about 20 years back are great thinkers when it comes upto cinema. Screenplay and direction. With Argo, Affleck has definitely taken himself to the next level – both as a director as well as an actor.
Cora Lijek (Clea DuVall), Mark Lijek (Christopher Denham), Kathy Stafford (Kerry Bishé), Joe Stafford (Scooty McNairy), Bob Anders (Tate Donovan) and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane) owe their lives to one Antonio Joseph Mendez (Ben Affleck). Tony was or should I say is an exfiltration expert of sorts – someone who specializes in getting people out a particular troubled country and take them back home.
Why does he need to do that because the 6 of them are holed up @ the house of the Canadian Ambassador to Iran – Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). This is after the revolutionary Iranians take the US Embassy Hostage on the 4th November 1979. Our 6 diplomats escape just in the nick of time and find their way to Ambassador Taylor’s house after being rejected by a couple of other embassies.
Along with Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and Academy award winner John Chambers (John Goodman), Tony hatches a plot to make a sci-fi movie – Argo. It would be set in a middle eastern location. To ensure that there are doubts which creep up, the team does everything that a movie maker would have been expected to do from the script to the director to press releases to posters – the works.
Argo differs from most other espionage movies on two major counts. Firstly there is a distinct addition of humour that makes it easy to watch. There are almost no action sequences but enough and more of edge of the seat drama. Other than these 2 aspects there is a stunning start with a background of the revolution which grabs you by the scruff of your neck and pushes you down to your seat.
Great use of fade in and fade outs at the appropriate moments. Some really good camera work there. The use of 2 audio tracks overlapping like when the Iranians are proclaiming that severe action will be taken on the hostages and the Argo screenplay reading is being done for the press – superb!!! The screenplay is fantastic.
My prediction – Argo should get nominated in the top 10 of the year. It would get a nomination for screenplay and just maybe (an outside chance based on the Hollywood movies that I have seen this year) a nomination for direction for Affleck. If none of these work out… Argo Fuck Yourself (watch to understand). 8 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1537319449/
And read the article on the Canadian Caper http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Caper
Showing posts with label Tate Donovan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tate Donovan. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Good Night And Good Luck
I could not have asked for a better movie for my 100th review!!! Here is one that missed out in all 6 categories that it was nominated in. In Art Direction and Cinematography, it lost out to Memoirs of a Geisha. In Direction to Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain. Original Screenplay and Best Movie to Paul Haggis’ Crash. Latly, David Strathairn was pitted against Terence Howard (Hustle and Flow), Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Joaquim Phoenix (Walk the Line) and the eventual winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote). In all of the above, one really cannot find fault with the jury. Its like being caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – in a positive manner though. So I guess, they took the easy way out and gave George Clooney the award for the Best Supporting Actor for Syrianna as a way to make up for the losses that he had for Good Night and Good Luck (GNAGL).
Edward R Murrow (David Strathairn) is an extremely focused journalist. He not only believes in but also practices the simple fundamental concept of journalism – Report the Truth. And in the process, he spares no effort in getting the truth out and fighting for the cause of reporting it. He has an agreement with William Paley (Frank Langella), they be all and the do all @ Columbia Broadcasting Services (CBS) that corporate will not interfere with editorial – come what may. He has managed to get his way to date but then his team stumbles upon an opportunity to really take the system on.
Junior Senator Joseph McCarthy (himself through footage) has taken it upon himself to wipe the country clean of communism. And to do that, he would go to great lengths to ensure that people with even the remotest inclination or association with communist meetings or labour unions would be grilled to the core and even sentenced if required. Anyone who so much as dares to speak against McCarthy’s views would be prosecuted. And therefore no one does. Not if Murrow has his way. Murrow and his team led by producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) take up the seemingly suicidal task of showing McCarthy his place in the real world.
My first memories of David Strathairn was in the 1992 movie Sneakers in the role of the blind Irwin ‘Whistler’ Emery. And the second time I remember seeing an extremely sincere performance from Strathairn was in a movie that I reviewed earlier called We Are Marshall in the endearing role of President Dedmond. But then there are roles which people are remembered by. Roles which prompt people to say – “hey isn’t that “XYZ” from “ABC”. What a brilliant performance right”!!! Edward Murrow’s role does just that one for Strathairn. It is going to remembered for a really long time to come for most people. Strathairn is ably supported by the ever cool George Clooney who has also come on tops in his second directorial venture. Needless to say, it will not be his last. Superb performances by the rest of the cast i.e. the ageless Patricia Clarkson, the amazing Frank Langella and the ever sure Robert Downey Jr. make GNAGL a delectable treat for the avid movie goer or otherwise. That it has been shot in Black & White only adds to the charisma of the entire movie. 8.5 on 10 easily. Must Must Must watch if you haven’t.
Edward R Murrow (David Strathairn) is an extremely focused journalist. He not only believes in but also practices the simple fundamental concept of journalism – Report the Truth. And in the process, he spares no effort in getting the truth out and fighting for the cause of reporting it. He has an agreement with William Paley (Frank Langella), they be all and the do all @ Columbia Broadcasting Services (CBS) that corporate will not interfere with editorial – come what may. He has managed to get his way to date but then his team stumbles upon an opportunity to really take the system on.
Junior Senator Joseph McCarthy (himself through footage) has taken it upon himself to wipe the country clean of communism. And to do that, he would go to great lengths to ensure that people with even the remotest inclination or association with communist meetings or labour unions would be grilled to the core and even sentenced if required. Anyone who so much as dares to speak against McCarthy’s views would be prosecuted. And therefore no one does. Not if Murrow has his way. Murrow and his team led by producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) take up the seemingly suicidal task of showing McCarthy his place in the real world.
My first memories of David Strathairn was in the 1992 movie Sneakers in the role of the blind Irwin ‘Whistler’ Emery. And the second time I remember seeing an extremely sincere performance from Strathairn was in a movie that I reviewed earlier called We Are Marshall in the endearing role of President Dedmond. But then there are roles which people are remembered by. Roles which prompt people to say – “hey isn’t that “XYZ” from “ABC”. What a brilliant performance right”!!! Edward Murrow’s role does just that one for Strathairn. It is going to remembered for a really long time to come for most people. Strathairn is ably supported by the ever cool George Clooney who has also come on tops in his second directorial venture. Needless to say, it will not be his last. Superb performances by the rest of the cast i.e. the ageless Patricia Clarkson, the amazing Frank Langella and the ever sure Robert Downey Jr. make GNAGL a delectable treat for the avid movie goer or otherwise. That it has been shot in Black & White only adds to the charisma of the entire movie. 8.5 on 10 easily. Must Must Must watch if you haven’t.
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