Argo Review

Ben Affleck, up to this point, has been 2-2 in his directing career. He started with the mystery Gone Baby Gone, and followed it up with the crime drama The Town. Both movies were very solid in my mind. With his third feature, Affleck proves that he's worthy of conversation as being one of the best directors working today. Argo isn't just Affleck's best movie, it's the best movie of the year to this point.

The movie is about the Iranian hostage crisis of 1980. As revolutionists overtook the U.S. Embassy in Iran, six American embassy workers escaped, finding refuge in the Canadian ambassador's home. Tony Mendez (Affleck) is called in to work with the CIA to try and find a way to get the six Americans home safely. Ideas are passed around between Mendez and the group, until Mendez comes up with the idea of acting as a film scout for a fake science fiction movie that wants to look at Iran as a filming location. Mendez' plan is to fly into Iran and fly out with the six Americans acting as his film crew. The group is skeptical at first, but ultimately decide to give him the OK to go through with the scheme. The best part of all this? It actually happened. Keep that in mind; when you think this story is so ridiculous that it couldn't have possibly happened: it did. Also, this isn't the kind of movie that only takes a true event as its starting point and adds layers of fictional story on top of the actual event that the real story is more like an afterthought in the end.

The movie does a really great job of being dramatic but not being overly serious. There's no doubt this was a terrible event while it was unfolding in 1980, but the film doesn't try to push the drama anymore than it should. It has it's great light-hearted moments as well early on, when Affleck is roaming Hollywood trying to find people he can trust with the information on the hostages. John Goodman plays John Chambers, who is a well known makeup artist in Hollywood who has helped the government out with situations like this in the past. There are some great moments between Affleck and Goodman on screen, particularly when Goodman is approached. Alan Arkin plays the movie producer who decides to help Affleck and his crew. Both Goodman and Arkin's characters are very much the comic relief. I hate to use the word character here, because these are real people being portrayed, and all of the actors do such a great job of nailing their roles.

I heard Affleck talk in an interview recently that he made the six actors playing the hostages live together for a period of time before filming began. They weren't allowed much time away from each other or the place they were staying in. He said that that helped the six actors not only understand and appreciate what those six people went through for so long, but also grow together as a group. It really shows on screen in the scenes the six people share together.

It may have just been me, but noticed a lot of emphasis on characters eyes throughout the movie. In almost every scene, there was a close up on a characters face. It may not make sense, but there was a lot of eye movement throughout the movie, and it became almost like a point of interest in the movie. The style reminded me a lot of classic directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick, who put a lot of emphasis on character expressions and point-of-view shots in movies. I know, lumping Ben Affleck into the same sentence with two iconic directors seems blasphemous, but, he's off to a really good start.

As far as Oscar chances go, I'll say if Argo isn't nominated for Best Picture I'd be really, really shocked. If Ben Affleck doesn't get a nod for Best Director I'll be really surprised. This movie has all the makings of an Oscar contender: great, enjoyable story, great acting by an all star cast, and the public seems to really be enjoying it so far. I really think Bryan Cranston, who I haven't mentioned yet, has a solid chance at a Best Supporting Actor nomination. He's really great as Affleck's go to guy on the mission, and it's nice to see him in a role like this. Secondary categories, like Cinematography and Editing, are solid locks in my mind as well. If there's one thing I can remember best from Affleck's three features, it's that the editing has been great in all three.

Ben Affleck was already a pretty solid director before he made Argo. Now, though, he's solidified himself as one of the best ones working today. Which is great, because back in the early 2000's, his acting career really, really sucked. Argo is definitely a must see and is, at this point, the best movie of the year.

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The 7 Best (And 1 Worst) James Bond Theme Songs

There are certain things that we can always count on when it comes to movies. There will always be controversy with the Oscars, movie stars are almost always full of themselves, and James Bond will always return. With the release of the 23rd Bond movie next month, Skyfall, I thought why not have a little fun and look back at 23 "official" movies and 50 years of Bond in our culture? The James Bond franchise may be my favorite of all time. While there are some terrible movies in the series (*cough* Die Another Day *cough*), I think that kind of adds to the history and reputation of the films. Time has proven that no matter how bad the movies get, people will always come out to see a James Bond movie. So, I'm going to be looking back on some of the funner things in the movies: the gadgets, the cars, the villains, and of course, the Bond girls. Each list will be 7 items long, because...come on, do I really have to say why? Today, I'm going to list my favorite Bond theme songs. Some of these are more appealing to my taste, but I think it'd be hard to argue with most of the choices I made to this list. First though, it's only appropriate to start with what I think is the worst theme song of them all, coming from maybe the worst Bond movie ever.

The Worst:

Madonna: "Die Another Day" - Die Another Day

Now, don't get me wrong, Madonna is a great singer, with some of the best pop hits from the last 25-30 years, but here, the techno beat and lyrics just come off as boring and really, really annoying. It's more of a Madonna rip off than an actual Madonna song. The music video is even worse, trying to play on the torture scene and the fencing match in the movie, but the whole thing is just a mess. Madonna is capable of a lot better than this, which, to me, is why it's so disappointing and downright awful.

Okay, on to the 7 best.

7) Carly Simon: "Nobody Does it Better" - The Spy Who Loved Me

Arguably one of the better love songs ever recorded, it's odd to find it as the theme for a James Bond movie. An interesting note is that this was the first time the title of the theme song wasn't the title of the Bond movie. The song even got nominated for an Oscar. Simon has a great voice, and I still hear this one on the radio from time to time.

6) Jack White and Alicia Keys: "Another Way to Die" - Quantum of Solace



It's probably one of the strangest pairings for a duet in a long time, but White and Keys are able to blend their two very different musical styles together to make not just a great Bond theme, but a great tune as well. Keys' R&B piano compliments White's guitar riffs really well. The hook of the lyrics, "Someone that you think that you can trust is just another way to die", is really fitting for the movie considering the end of Casino Royale and the lead into Quantum.

5) Shirley Bassey: "Goldfinger" - Goldfinger

I don't think Bond theme songs would be as critical to a James Bond movie today if it wasn't for this one. Bordering the line between cheesy and serious, Bassey's amazing voice makes up for the corny-yet-fun lyrics. That opening hook is so memorable, that it may never be topped. 

4) Adele: "Skyfall" - Skyfall

The movie's not even out yet; hell, the whole song was just released yesterday. Still, this is how you do a Bond theme. I love the Bond songs that find a cool way to work in the movie's title, and this is one of my favorite songs that does it. Adele is probably the best musician working today, and her bluesy tones and great lyric writing are a perfect fit for a Bond movie. Can she do the next one, too?

3) Duran Duran: "A View to a Kill" - A View to a Kill

Okay, I know, this is basically all the best and worst things about 80's music wrapped up in one 4 minute package, but come on, how can you not like this song? To this day it is the only Bond song to hit #1 on the Billboard charts. Although I'm not a big fan of Roger Moore's Bond, he brought a much lighter tone to the character and is the longest tenured actor to portray 007. This theme fits right in with the fun aspect of a Bond movie. It's classic 80's, and classic Bond.

2) Shirley Bassey: "Diamonds Are Forever" - Diamonds Are Forever



Bassey makes her second appearance singing what many people consider the best Bond theme. Singers like Adele and Tina Turner have Bassey to thank for her three great Bond themes. I had a hard time deciding which of her songs should be at #2, because they're both great in their own ways. Her third theme, "Moonraker", is another good one. When you think of Bond theme songs, you think of Shirley Bassey.

1) Paul McCartney and Wings: "Live and Let Die" - Live and Let Die

It's a Beatle, singing a James Bond song. How can this not be #1? Even the Guns N' Roses cover is great. There was really no way McCartney could have screwed this up, but the fact that it came out as well as it did is even better. When you make not just the best Bond song of all time, but one of your own best songs ever, you know it's something special. Nothing will ever top this one.

So there you go, my favorite James Bond songs. There are no doubt going to be more songs in the future, but I think it will be very hard to crack this list. What do you think is the best Bond song? Is there one I missed out on? Comment below; let me know!