Showing posts with label Alan Arkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alan Arkin. Show all posts
Hollywood Loves Hollywood and I Love Argo
In the late 1970s the situation in Iran started to reach a crescendo. As anti-American sentiment was at its height an invasion of the US embassy took 52 Americans hostage. These Americans were held as leverage to get the Iranian leader returned to face the people. But in the midst of the takeover of the US Embassy, six Americans got away. The Canadian ambassador took them in; but with the walls closing in around them, the ambassador AND the Americans were in jeopardy.
The CIA has decided they needed to act, or these six Americans would likely be killed. A CIA agent name Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is brought in to do what he does best, “exfiltration”. The best idea he has come with, create a fake movie.
Now it’s up to Tony to see if he can get the pieces together to get the hostages out safe. He enlists the help of John Chambers (John Goodman), a Hollywood effects man that has the access to help set up the operation. The fake project needs a real director, and for that the team turns to Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin). Together they will create the illusion that the big budget, high profile sci-fi spectacular Argo will use the Iranian backdrop for their new film. Can they pull it off?
Ok, I’m just going to start off my analysis like this…I really like this film. Ben Affleck as a director is really starting to feel his situations and take us as viewers along for the ride. As I went through the period in Iran, I felt that I was there, alongside Ben as a fly on his jacket. The emotions I was to feel flowed from me as easy as anything I can imagine. Sure it helped that he had some very talented people along with him, but everything from the direction to the screenplay to the acting was spot on.
And let’s talk about the acting. Ben works as the lead that tries to separate himself from those around him. His co-creators on the film aspect of the movie Alan Arkin and John Goodman are award caliber good! Arkin brings his special brand of power and wit to capture the screen every time he graces it. And John Goodman has never been better than his role as the person that helps Ben put the whole plan together. Witty yet serious – the group is entirely enjoyable to experience.
The story that is here, is one that most no the periphery of, but there aren’t many that can tell you the specifics. Drawing on a declassified mission, and with the help of some of those that participated, Affleck tells a story that flows with a very special screenplay.
Ok, so I’m glowing about this film. There may be better films I will see yet this year…but to this point, so far, my money is on Argo for SERIOUS talk in EVERY year-end award. Hollywood loves movies about Hollywood…and in this case Hollywood is there to save the day…and it is good!
A
Warner Brothers Pictures
Director: Ben Affleck
Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman
Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hours
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| Alone in the dark with a killer |
Blind Susy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn) is unaware that some men who have come to her apartment pretending to either be friends of her husband or police officers are actually crooks looking for a drug-filled doll that a woman handed off to Susy's unsuspecting husband, Sam (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.). Gradually she realizes that something is wrong, and prepares to fight for her life when the gentlemen come back from a wild goose chase she's sent them on. The main trouble with Wait Until Dark -- which was based on a stage play by Frederick Knott (Dial M for Murder) -- is that the suspense is minimal because the audience is clued in to what's going on from the very beginning. Hepburn gives a very good performance and the rest of the surprisingly C List cast are fine, although Alan Arkin seems about as threatening as Boris Badenov. Julie Herrod is excellent as the neighbor child Gloria who is alternately helpful and bratty. Henry Mancini's score does what it can to increase the limited excitement. It's hard to figure why Arkin and Crenna were billed above the title along with Hepburn.
SPOILER ALERT: Susy has been encouraged by her husband to be as independent as possible despite her blindness, which leads to two problematical developments. We already know she can walk by herself to her husband's office, so instead of barricading herself in her apartment, why doesn't she just leave and ask for someone to help her get to the nearest precinct? [St. Luke's Place where this takes place runs right into Seventh Avenue and the men watching her place have gone off on the wild goose chase.] At the very end when Sam sees her bloodied and huddled by the refrigerator, he waits for her to get up and make her way towards him, but surely in a situation like this he would forget his independence edict and go hug the woman he's supposed to be in love with after such an ordeal? Also, in a moment that made some nervous nellies in the audience jump in fright, Alan Arkin leaps out of the darkness at Susy after he's been stabbed and falls to the ground unconscious. Maybe he might have been able to painfully lurch after her, but leap? The moment is ludicrous instead of startling.
Verdict: If you want to see a better Frederick Knott adaptation watch Dial M for Murder instead. **.