I saw Argo today. It is SO good. I don't know enough to know how historically accurate it is. And maybe that's better. I use to be a big fan of gotta read the book before seeing the movie. But now, not so much. If the book is really good, the movie can only disappoint. Even if the movie is also really good, it can never be as good as the book. Or maybe it's as good, but because of the format, it has to tell the story differently and leave parts out and that's frustrating, too. Twilight, Hunger Games, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the whole Bourne series, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Help (though that was close to being as good), and on and on. You read the book. You see the movie. You are disappointed.
So anyway, back to Argo. I acknowledge that the people involved in the real story may not think it was a good movie at all. I'm sure it would be hard to be absolutely factually accurate and be entertaining and fit it into two hours (although it was by no means "Unstoppable" where you have to suspend disbelief the entire time and know that it is definitely very loosely based on a true story). But given all that, it was so good. There was humor and tension in perfect amounts. Nothing was overdone. Ben Affleck is fantastic. It feels real. It feels the way life really is: unglamorous, straightforward, scary, risky, messy, funny, caring, complicated. This one will be in the running for an Oscar. Go see it.
Just finished the book. Thought I should read it first to refresh my memory of the hostage crisis. I do remember yellow ribbons tied to trees, and I remember being sad there were no Olympics.
ReplyDeleteI also just saw Affleck interviewed on Jon Stewart, 5 of the 'hiders' were involved in consulting for the film. Pretty accurate apparently.
Can't wait to see it.
Go see it!
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