MOVIE REVIEW: CIA Double Feature-- Argo and Zero Dark Thirty

Over the last two weeks, I've seen two of last year's biggest Oscar contenders, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. Ironically enough, they're both based off true stories, they briefly feature the USA's worst presidents, and they both have to do with the CIA. Since they have such a similar theme, I figured, "Why not do two-for-one?" So without further ado, I present my reviews to you.

The first film in our double feature is Argo, starring and directed by Ben Affleck, the guy from Daredevil (sigh...) and co-writer of Good Will Hunting (that's better). In Affleck's third directorial job, he portrays Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who comes up with "the best bad idea there is" to rescue six escapees of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Iran. What is this bad idea? Fake a film scout. At least it beats riding out on bicycles.

This is one of those films where you look at it and you can't believe it actually happened. Granted, Affleck and screenwriter Chris Terrio make several minor creative liberties in the material, but it doesn't disqualify it from being a great film. Affleck certainly presents a creative, though subtle, eye behind the camera, which is ironic-- you can tell he's the guy behind the camera, yet at the same time, he's right in front of you onscreen. One aspect I really liked was the film's prologue. The film is about the making of a fake B-movie, and the prologue is told in part with storyboards. Another great directorial shot is at the very end (no spoilers). The last shots show Mendez's son's room, decorated with figurines and other paraphernalia from Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, and other science-fiction films and among it all is a sole storyboard from the Star Wars rip-off, Argo. Affleck may not have as profound a director's eye like Shyamalan or Spielberg, but by Jove is it still a good one.

Easily the strongest aspect of this film are the characters. In a film full of suspense, we need to be worried about these characters and most, if not all, stick out. Affleck does a worthy job of portraying Terrio, who is something like an underdog among his peers, at times acting a bit unorthodox (that said, he came up with the Argo plan in the first place). It's a good thing, too. Daredevil may be one of the worst movies I've seen, and Affleck, in this film (and in his two others, so I've heard), has severed that umbilical cord and has separated himself completely from some of the stinkers he's been in, and you have to commend him for that. If you don't believe me, watch Daredevil, then come back and watch this. Yeah, that's what I thought. The hostages aren't as distinct as they should be, but they've got their standout characteristics and are unpredictable; unlike the Iranians hunting after them, they are independent people with individual problems and anchors. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Drive) also masterfully blends the seriousness and the comedic aspects of his character and the situation at hand. The two standouts, however, are John Goodman and Alan Arkin as John Chambers (legendary makeup designer for Planet of the Apes) and a film producer, respectively. Their lines are some of the best in the film, including "If this is going to be a fake movie, it's going to be a fake hit," and "You want to come to Hollywood and act like a big shot without actually doing anything? You'll fit right in." Their chemistry with the cast and their comedic timing are perfect in this film, and I wish there was more of them. Going back to the lines, this is probably one of the most quotable scripts I've seen, and that's due to Terrio. Props to you; you won an Oscar.

The film succeeds on many levels: the score by Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Part 2, Zero Dark Thirty) is great, Affleck and editor William Goldenberg (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Zero Dark Thirty) seamlessly connect real-life footage with their own, and the pacing and intensity are nice and exciting for this escape thriller. The film at times is unpredictable, and there's plenty of humor to spare. While it doesn't really pertain to the film as a whole, the trailer for this film was excellent. I've included it below for your viewing pleasure. One of the best aspects of the trailer was the inclusion of "Dream On" by Aerosmith, though I was disappointed when it didn't make it into the final cut of the film. Nevertheless, the trailer captures the feel of the film perfectly.



In conclusion, Affleck did get robbed from a Best Director nomination at the Oscars, but should he have won if he was? I still think that Spielberg should have won Best Director for Lincoln, but I'm glad Argo ended up winning Best Picture. From the four out of eight nominees I've seen, this one was the best technically and enjoyably (and it was my prediction at the ceremony based on critical statistics alone!) Because of this, I give Argo 4.5 out of 5 stars. It's nearly perfect, but I don't think it warrants a full five stars. It was a fun ride and a well-done one all the same.

Now things get serious with my review of Zero Dark Thirty. Zero Dark Thirty is the infamous film of the decade-long hunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the events of 9/11. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Point Break), this film details how the hunt affects CIA agent Maya, played by award-winning actress Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, The Help).

Zero Dark Thirty has become renowned for its depictions of torture. When I saw this film, I thought, "Sucks for him," but I wasn't as revolted as other people were. Sure, it warrants an R-rating, but it's not overly gratuitous. That said, several people will be turned away by it, but if you've seen other violent pictures or can understand the context the actions are in, you probably won't be as turned off to the film. Do keep in mind that the opening torture scenes do set a constant gritty tone throughout the film.

Unlike Argo, where it's a "get in, then get the heck out" kind of situation because the Iranians are t'd off at our meddling, Zero Dark Thirty takes its precious time to depict a pseudo-documentary style approach of these recent events. I don't mean documentary as in full of interviews and Morgan Freeman voiceovers; more as in the episodic sense of documentaries, where we have the landing and then we have the segment of human error. This film depicts a bunch of Americans ticked off at Iran and Al Qaeda for the pain they've put us through and their acts of vengeance by knocking off Public Enemy #1, and it shows the stakes get even higher after Al Qaeda hits too close to home for Maya, hardening her as a person with one goal only: blow the bits out of bin Laden.

Don't think, however, that this film is going to have that "Yeah, 'Murica!" feel. Zero Dark Thirty is very realistic in its portrayals of imperfect people and nations. These folks make bunches of mistakes in the path, and it raises some good points of the necessity of violence in these situations and the morality of vengeance, the latter being a major theme in the great film True Grit (2010). At times, you will think, "We did that??" Though parts of the film are fictionalized due to partial classification of true events, it's an eye-opener to a sleeping America. Even though it may seem too soon for a film like this to come out, America needs to learn from its actions and know what has been going on all these years--bring things in perspective. That's why I have respect for films like these two: it shows the magnitude of human error and the consequences it brings, which you don't get in a film like Die Hard or The Avengers.

At times, the film is a bit hard to follow during some of the dialogue-based scenes, mostly due to the very similar names of the Al Qaeda associates. I guess you can't blame the film too much on that, but the problem still exists. Overall, though, Bigelow did well in portraying a strong female lead (which we need more of these days) and also portraying the question "Is it all worth it?" especially in the final shot of the film. I think I've come to realize that great films are made by their final shots: Batman riding off in the night, a reunion at the beach; birds flying away from an island, free as its inhabitants, a minister fixing his collar after a long absence, but I digress. This is a film with things that I've been taught to look for in Calvary Film Society and these are the things that make films art. Zero Dark Thirty is a film everybody needs to see at least once.

For God and Country

Thrilling, thought-provoking, and gritty, Zero Dark Thirty deserved every nomination it received. I give Zero Dark Thirty a similar score of 4.5 out of 5 stars, and I may rank it slightly higher than Argo on my preference scale, though I still think that Argo deserved to go home with the gold. That said, they are both equally great films and are must-haves in your collection of thrillers.

So again, it's down to you. If you've seen these films, which did you prefer and why? What's your favorite thriller or CIA-themed movie? Tell me if you like Double Features or single reviews better. Sound off in the comments section below!