Review by Gene
The Academy Awards have developed a bit of a reputation for themselves of nominating movies for the Oscar for Best Picture which the general public either missed entirely, or didn’t find it the gem of a production that the Academy did. This year that was not the case. Argo took the Oscar amongst a number of films that were hits at the box office, with the exception of Beasts of the Southern Wild. I did not catch Argo in the theater, though now having seen it I wish I had. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, Argo tells the true story of the escape of 6 Americans from Iran in 1980. Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who specializes in exfiltration from hostile territory. Ben’s portrayal of Tony Mendez, while seemingly bland, emotionless and expressionless, is right on the money once you see interviews with the real man. And really, thinking back, his demeanor is perfectly fitting of a CIA agent. Oh, and he’s rockin’ a beard. I would highly recommend checking out the extra features with interviews of the actual people if you purchase or rent this movie.
