The title card reads ‘Based on a True Story’, or at very least one that allows for great entertainment. Putting aside factual context, the critical mass gained from this nifty hybrid of Munich and Wag the Dog manages (if occasionally slowing to a stumble) to blend nail-biting espionage with satirical bite, both political and Hollywood bound. If there was anything Ben Affleck can thank being in the inside of Tinsel Town’s Leftist inner circle for, it’s its political savvy and crucially, a world weary eye on that town’s penchant for rampant BS. True, recognising the West’s disruptive geopolitical engineering in the Middle East as well as thumbing your nose at behind the scenes backslapping are nothing new and this certainly isn’t the first time they’ve been paired (see Wag the Dog). But give Affleck his due, whilst his opinion doesn’t carve out any great partisan insight, his directing chops keep you pinned against the wall till you agree with him.
“You’re worried about the Ayatolla? Try the WGA!” Alan Arkin’s pissed exec cries out, highlighting the essential unity between the two interwoven scenarios: Politics and Media, both formed on wheedling, cajoling and above all, lies. The lie here – a rescue mission disguised as a movie recce – subverts the lot with the one trait rarely equated with either aforementioned power struggles; honour. But that’s before we get into the Lion’s den, in which Affleck hurls us into the claustrophobic swarms of rabid protestors, baying for Western blood. The Ayatolla himself is ever present, scowling in interview footage and apparently glaring in Affleck’s direction from the ominous portraits mounted on Iranian embassy walls. Much like The Hurt Locker, Affleck is out to wring every drop of intensity from the premise, in a hostile city where anyone is a target and no single local can be trusted. Not to mention passing off a bunch of jittery embassy workers as fake filmmakers, there’s that too.
It’s lean stuff, but even with Affleck’s sure handed grip on the ruthless pacing the enterprise is still hazard prone. Thankfully none damage dramatically but are still a nuisance. Superficial period details are hammered home (the obligatory vintage Star Wars bedspreads are grating, mullets, Deep Throat tashes and gaudy pastels) constantly but none are deal breakers. However, despite an effective prologue fills in our blanks, the following scenes in which we leapfrog from a US consulate in Iran to stateside CIA offices are muddled by one-too-many location title cards (‘wait, where are we now?’). Occasionally the rapid cutting to and from locales isn’t helped by a lack of establishing shots. Even if intensity is in the medium to close up range, when you’re hopping continents in the space of a few seconds, slowing down doesn’t go amiss.
What Argo surprisingly lacks is a standout performance, Affleck and his co-stars are all valiant and credible but none are scene stealers. Even John Goodman underplays famed makeup artist John Chambers, all this does work in Argo’s favour. Affleck has succeeded in making the most thrilling awards bait contender since Black Swan, with the brains to boot.