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Health & Fitness

Weekend Watch: Best Picture Winner 'Argo'

Weekend Watch is a weekly movie review looking at the latest films in the theaters, what's streaming online, and even black and white classics. This Week: Oscar winner "Argo"!

Sadly, I was unable to watch all of the Oscar nominees before the actual Oscar award show. So as I turned on the television, and watched the stars walk down the red carpet, I couldn’t help but feel a little like a failure. That feeling didn’t last long, especially when I got swept up in cheering or booing the people who had been chosen to receive an award.

When it came down to the best picture award I was torn. I was hoping that “Django Unchained”, or “Les Miserables” would win, but as they announced the winner as “Argo”, I couldn’t help but smile. Ben Affleck, the director of "Argo," had been snubbed by the academy in the Best Director category, and so I was happy his film won. He has proven, even after the huge bomb that was “Gigli,” that he has staying power in Hollywood.

So in honor of his win I decided to review “Argo”.

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“Argo” is the true story of a CIA-Canadian joint operation to save six American Diplomatic workers who are trapped in Iran amid a revolutionary uprising.

The first thing I noticed was how quickly the film moved. The movie clocks in at two hours but doesn’t feel that long. I became aware of this because most political thrillers tend to move almost painfully slow. The pacing of “Argo” definitely helped increase the tension throughout the film.

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I felt like the film didn’t spend enough time with the six Americans trapped in Iran. Yes, as a viewer we understand their fears and frustrations, but the film seems to glance over them rather quickly.

The real center of the film is Tony Mendez (Affleck), a quiet and determined CIA agent. The tension builds as we watch him surmount the problems in Hollywood, the government and those created by the militants in Iran. He is a man who chooses to do all he can to save these people, even when it means his own potential death, despite having a family at home. Affleck brings a hidden desperation to Tony who may look stoic on the outside, but when you watch his eyes you see the true emotion beneath the exterior. It was a superb acting job.

There is an underlying idea in the film: The idea is that Hollywood, despite its brash attitude and sink-or-swim mentality, still has a heart. Whether or not you agree with this sentiment (I tend not to), the fact remains that people within the Hollywood machine were integral in saving these Americans, and they did it without the need for recognition. Alan Arkin and John Goodman do a great job of embodying these characteristics while still remaining relatable as a producer and makeup artist.

Personally, I usually tend to hate the film that wins best picture, but this year they got it right. Check out “Argo” for rent on Comcast On Demand. 

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