Argo* (2012) 8, 8.5, 9.5, 26

          I can readily admit that I was not excited by Argo as a concept, when I first heard about it. It gave me pause to know that Ben Affleck directed it, as I am a very big fan of his feature-length directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. I really felt for the lone samurai insisting on doing the right thing. Well-made, but most of all well-acted and well-written. This is to be attributed to Ben as well, both as director and as co-writer. This got me excited about it, but the look of the movie seemed ridiculous, but it occurred to me that this was historically. Silly period. This ended up being nearly my favorite part.
          For wit, I gave the film an 8. Overall the writing did not deserve anymore. I compared it with American Gangster, which did not seem right, that one being slightly better acted, but definitely better written. It compared more to Artois the Goat or American History X. Though I haven't seen it, the comparison with Gangster Squad occurred to me. They both seem like great historical, true stories that need to be told, but they deserve something better than the way they are being portrayed. History demands nuance. Another problem with the incompatibility of the two major stories is important, but I'll come back to that when I deal with wonder.
          As far as acting goes, kudos to Bryan Cranston for playing it solid, but simple on the first time I've seen him out of Breaking Bad. Kyle Jordan also practically reprises his role from Zero Dark Thirty with nearly the same effect. Not a lot, but certainly not bad. Alan Arkin and John Goodman were solid, if unspectacular. Lastly, positive points for each of the hiding Americans, just solid characters that will make me look again at a movie I see them in in the future. I should mention Ben, but what is there to say.
          On to wisdom, which could definitely have been higher if there had been more cohesion. The beginning was something like an admission of responsibility by America in the reign of the Shah and the deposing of Mossadeq. This was refreshing to begin with, but it seemed to turn quickly. I would not have objected to a turn that made the point that the takeover of the embassy was a huge clustercuss, but the result was a complete abandonment of the original subplot. It was all, 100% American spy thriller. Fun, but confusing. The end became nearly identical to the end of Charlie Wilson's War, which, though it was fun and funny the first time, this time it seemed unnecessary. Overall I chose to give it an 8.5, not for bad morals, but confused presentation.
          Wonder is a 9.5. I came to really like the period nature of it and appreciated the apparent attention to detail, not that I know what '79 looked like, really. I think Ben did alright, but it was kind of a let-down after Gone Baby Gone and The Town. Maybe he needs to get back to material that he wrote, or at least co-wrote, because I trust him as a writer, since Good Will Hunting. I hope the next one is better.