Argo is an extremely well built suspense.
The subject matter, the American embassy in Iran overrun in 1979, would have made me miss this great movie. It's not the type of thing that I'm interested in, but it won enough acclaim to make me see it.
Ben Affleck has my admiration for pulling this off. I'll give him more credit as a director than as an actor, since even though he was playing the main character, it was almost as if he was invisible. I think it's on purpose, though, and extremely well played. The real main character is the tension. He builds it like a maestro, makes you feel it, as if you were there. It is with you like a great weight, until the all clear. Thankfully, he doesn't leave us in such a state, and gently bring us back down with an ending that ties up all the loose ends, while even adding a charming little detail.
I'll give even more props to the writers for being able to insert some laughter in such a grim story. I'm not sure exactly how the managed it, but it fits, and it is direly welcomed.
If you don't mind a movie set during the Iranian revolution, or all the trappings of the late 70s, it's a great movie. I don't think I'll see it again though. It's just a bit too much for me. I like to evade reality when I watch a film, no relive historical tensions.
9*/10
