In the end, the secret to make a good film is to have a good story to tell. The other things around the movie are not so important when the story is good. There is no need of FX effects, of vampires or of a lot of naked skin. On the opposite side, a film which does not tell you anything is sure to be a failure.
"Argo", the film by Ben Affleck, tells one of the best stories I have watched on a movie in the last years. The story is based on real events (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_caper), which helps to capture the full attention of the spectator. We are taken in the middle of the hostage crisis in Iran between 1979 and 1981, which is presented from many perspectives and angles. The introduction to the film summarizes the history of Iran in the XXth
century and explains easily and without any judgement why Iran is where
it is now. In a very realistic and detailed way, the chaos and fear
which dominated the life in Iran those days are displayed on the screen,
without excesses.
The relaxed attitude of US Government officials in Washington, the terror of hostages in the US embassy, the rage of Iranian citizens who suffered for years the oppresion, the risks taken by the Canadian ambassador, the coward silence of other Western allies, the doubts within the group of six Americans, the fears of the main character (named Antonio, like me, je, je, je), the tricks played by Hollywood contacts, ...: everything in the movie is simply perfect.
I have not seen any other of the candidates for the Best Film of the Oscar's Awards, but I would be very surprised if "Argo" does not take it home, because it is one of the best films of the last years.
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