Argo

As excellent as he is a director, he is simply a little bland as an actor. He proves the first not just in the opening, most powerful scene of the year, but throughout the movie. He manages to demonstrate immense bravado as a director, building up stifling tension in a story where you know what happens, while poetically interleafing political thriller with satire on a burned-out "_llywo_d". He also proves his acting (non)skills throughout, tripping himself up by otherwise casting acting aces in the other roles, or at least actors who constantly out-act him. This said, most detrimental turned out to be the airport finale where he comes across like an unintentional parody of himself. Certainly cinematic exaggeration of reality is one thing, but dishing out so many clichés in ten minutes is just too much. It is all the more surprising because up until that point he has been avoiding them and going his own way. So, in the end no new Munich or Baader Meinhof Complex occurs, it’s just too naive and shallow for that, but ranking it amongst them is sufficient recognition of Argo’s qualities. (29/11/2012)

Ben Affleck really is the man. I must admit that I never believed that he could be the leading representative of decent and intelligent Hollywood of this day and age, but every new movie he makes is such a smash hit that my brain is having a hard time coping with such amounts of quality. Argo may not be a five-star smash hit and that’s only because it drags on a bit at the beginning and it takes a while for the movie to finally get to the action. But once the action starts, which is actually the entire second part of the movie, your heart will stop beating with all the suspense the same way it did for me. The story itself is absolutely amazing and interesting and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Argo wins the Oscar for Best Picture. It has all the traditional Oscar-winning qualities, so we will see. For me, this was a job really well done about a certain chapter of CIA and Hollywood history, which couldn’t have been filmed any better. Yeah and Ben Affleck was absolutely perfect in his role. (24/02/2013)

A smart and very thoughtful reconstruction of historical events that has been missing here for a long time. The film beautifully oscillates between serious drama and accomplished satire, intertwining both key elements in individual scenes from side to side. The whole thing appears mature, intelligent, and it is damn entertaining and captivating to watch. Ben Affleck also hit with the costume design, the sets, and the cinematography. The performances are brilliant by all involved. (12/02/2014)

Among film fans, it is a well-known fact that Ben Affleck is a much better director than an actor. But he is apparently not such a good director that he realizes the limits of his acting skills and adjusts the casting of the main character accordingly. That is unfortunate. What Ben Affleck builds in the director's seat, the same Ben Affleck tears down in the lead role with his bloodless performance. It's certainly not embarrassing, but it needed to be cast with a top-notch character actor. Ben Affleck's ability to create and maintain tension, his meticulousness in capturing the atmosphere of the 70s, as well as the revolutionary conditions in Iran after the fall of the Shah, still remain. In the field of political thrillers, it's not at the absolute peak, because Ben Affleck couldn't avoid a few unnecessarily melodramatic moments or getting emotional in family scenes, and the viewer's suspense is further marred by the fact that a film based on a true story has nothing to surprise you with and you simply know from the very beginning how it will end. On the other hand, it is a strong above-average film and it is a joy to watch such a well-executed screenplay. Overall impression: 75%. (19/04/2015)

Affleck didn't disappoint again. This time his work may not have that much panache and the viewer has to endure the first half of the film without any emotional basis for the events rather than experience them, but the final, one could say riveting, passage convinced me to give it a high rating and especially about Affleck's qualities as a director. A well-drawn tense situation, a beautiful period atmosphere, a surprisingly decent performance by Affleck and pleasant allusions to the deceitfulness and depravity of the movie industry, all this against a backdrop of a great escape that, in the end, had me completely engrossed and keeping my fingers crossed for the heroes as much as I have done for any film in a long time. Plus the necessary dose of clichés and the mandatory diversion towards the audience, which increased the dynamism and impact of the climax. My Oscar favourites this year may have been made of completely different dough, but Affleck rocked the academics in such style that he couldn't possibly lose. Patriotism is highly addictive, especially when it’s portrayed with such quality. "Argo, fuck yourself!" (10/03/2013)