Argo- Breathless And Brilliant

I never cared much for those outer space sagas- the kind of sci-fi movies like ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Planet Of The Apes’ that were, for me, too childish. They featured men and apes, aliens and monsters who were more funny and scary, talking robots, and handsome heroes who were actually too bland for taste. Throw in some zooming spaceships that make those groovy sounds, sabers that light up, some stunning set design and some ugly makeup and you end up making something that grinds my nerves- Fast, silly, juvenile and totally forgettable.

And it could have been that way had it not been for one gem of a movie.

Ben Affleck’s ‘Argo’ is not a sci-fi movie; far from being one, it is an outrageously true story that tells us of one of the most sudorific events of our post-World War History- an event that still finds its echoes in the current turmoil. It is 1979 and Iran’s ruler, the suave and charismatic Shah, is dethroned and when he seeks the political asylum of the all-powerful USA, the Iranians react. They react quite strongly.

 

The Storming Of The Embassy 

Revolution is on the streets and the rebels, egged on by their rabble-rousing leader Ayatollah, storm the American embassy while the besieged diplomats watch on with growing fear. Desperate commands cut across the rooms while the storm rages on outside- files are destroyed, papers and photos and shredded and more is done as surrender to the surging crowd feels imminent and death at their hands is even more certain. America has never been so vulnerable before.

Meanwhile, in the relatively peaceful USA, the CIA talks fruitlessly about plans and excuses to smuggle out the stranded 6 diplomats who have somehow escaped the Komiteh’s clutches. It is then when believably world-weary hero Tony Mendez (Affleck himself) suggests that they should make, of all things, a fake space movie.

Making Plans..... For Rescue

 

And then ‘Argo’, living up to its name, which is lingo for Argonaut, begins to soar and race as quick as those bizarrely shaped spaceships. But while this is bizarrely shaped as well, sprawling, claustrophobic and paranoid in both visual and narrative terms, Affleck’s film is nonetheless a class apart- a masterpiece of nerve-racking fear and suspense served up with enough dark humor and a menacingly urgent and split-second clever style.

Affleck has always been one of our most hardened filmmakers- the young actor-cum-director’s trademark style is to make a tried-and-tested formula truly special by doffing his hat as well as keeping his own style original. And nowhere does it feel so superbly in place than in this film, that shows him at the peak of his directorial powers.

Hollywood often hands out us standard-issue political espionage thrillers- the sobering greys of the concrete enclaves of windy Virginia are usually contrasted with the sunbaked scenarios of Middle-Eastern locations but the way Affleck contrasts the tension of Iran with the boardroom discussions and secret plans is amazing- much of the banter is kept smart and crisp- the plot smartly cuts to the meaty parts of the actual story without really leaving focus on the crucial areas- in this case, the 6 hapless men and women stranded and forced to hide when danger lurks around.

There is much mastery nicely and neatly packed between the layers of plotting that the film unveils- Photo montages, video broadcasts and more are cut together, with ruthless, fearless precision, with pencil sketches, and hand-held, urgent images of tension and chaos on the streets- Rodriego Pietro’s superb camerawork perfectly captures the melancholy of the fugitives and much of the deathly, edge-of-seat suspense that Affleck and screenwriter Chris Perrio cram into the film. And thankfully, the tension and fear feel so real that we actually end up caring for the people.

 

Affleck smartly thrusts the events into our face. As Mendez coerces the reluctant and skeptical fugitives to follow his plan, we can feel some of that paranoia around us as well. The plot moves along briskly- the last-minute plans of Mendez and his team are edgily contrasted with the ever-alert rebels piecing together shredded files to get a lead on the people who have escaped. The stakes feel genuinely high for both Mendez and people whom he is supposed to rescue- and there are many split-second decisions and last-minute changes to be done. Clearly, one miss or slight error can result in certain death and Affleck smartly ratchets up the tension, building up the fire and steam for a particularly breathless finale that makes this tale even more special.

 

The Finale In The Airport- Breathless!

But amazingly enough, the magic of the film lies in its touches. There is a refreshing lightness in the way Affleck handles the film’s proceedings- despite the urgency of the situation, nothing feels rushed or frantic- the dialogue between the characters is dead-pan funny and brisk and the chemistry between them is equally dynamic. There are those wonderful moments of pain and joy- the fugitives celebrate their last evening in Iran with drinks and music while Mendez is shaken after his superiors back home refuse to co-operate. An unwilling movie producer (a witty Alan Arkin) agrees to go ahead with a fake movie, after being sobered by a news telecast about the hostage situation- and in a memorable scene, a publicity event for the ‘fake movie’ where the aliens, robots and humans rehearse their lame lines, is paralleled with the fugitives trapped in their temporary refuge and the hostages subjected to torture. There are also some masterful, Hitchcock-like touches of true fear and paranoia- when Mendez and his team go for some ‘location-hunting’ in a spice bazaar, danger seems to be present in every corner- in every stranger’s gaze and the scene erupts into a magnificent moment of bone-chilling fright.

Affleck has always demonstrated his Sidney Lumet and Michael Mann influences- the tick-tock narrative of his last impressive venture ‘The Town’ runs parallel to the intense character-driven drama. And this is perhaps more than evident here- when serious the film flips to documentary-style realism- the more brooding moments centering on the stranded diplomats are done with such an immaculate credibility that the sweltering atmosphere of fright and helplessness feels real- while Mendez’s own actions are understated. Pretty much everything is held tightly in place- the less-than-encouraging news telecasts cast a vicious shadow on the main plan- while, in the last minute, back home in USA, the authorities refuse to co-operate, clearly raising the stakes for a near suicidal mission. Danger always feels close at hand and when everything, like a miracle, comes off alright, one cannot help congratulating the heroes for their courage.

 

All this obviously makes ‘Argo’ a cut above the usual thriller format- this is closer in vein not only to Lumet’s rabble-rousers and Mann’s quiet, somber detective films but also to the work of Alan J.Pakula- like a Pakula classic, the ingenuity of the film lies in how it makes even a well-known story truly a sensational experience.

 

The Street Scene- The Most Tense Moment In The Film! 

Affleck’s film does that and more. There is much to admire in the way he handles the politics of the film- brutality is never shown explicitly but is largely implied with spine-chilling effect- the diplomats are portrayed more as victims of political games rather than just the outrage while a shot of a KFC outlet in Iran hints at the hollow motives behind the revolution. Beneath much of this clever precision and balance, lies the real motive of the film- like any other film, it makes us feel for our characters. As in the end, when one of the hunted and harried diplomats, pretending to be a director, talks about how the space hero of the film will defeat the bad guys in a chase through the spice bazaar to a fearsome and nervous security guard, we actually end up believing that both real life and reel-life is dramatic and not without their moments of heroism.

Affleck throws in a wonderfully restrained yet heroic performance as Mendez, his role requiring him to mouth lesser lines and soak up moments of self-reflection and determination and the actor proves to be competent. Bryan Cranston as his diligent and supportive superior at CIA throws up an intense, compelling act while the supporting cast, including an ever-so-wonderful Alan Arkin, is believably superb.

‘Argo’ is truly a thriller for the ages. This is because it is more than just a thriller. It is a wonderfully observed portrayal of human fear and life threatened by tumultuous events of history, so conveniently recorded on TV news channels and how every single inch of hope and every day you survive counts a lot.

Take a bow, Ben.

My Rating- 5 Stars.