I Ran

We are 9 for 11 - in movies that is.  But it is pre-Oscar season (Mike, beware!) so there are any number of good movies coming out between now and New Year's Eve (Lincoln, Life of Pi,  ummm....I'm sure there is something else), so we should make all 12 movies this year.

Should.

No promises.

But yesterday we made Argo.

Hyped by most reviews, though I hadn't read the specifics, it pretty much lived up to the snippets I had heard.

I can't say I'm a fan of Ben Affleck, but he did a good job in front of, and behind, the camera.

Truth be told, I knew the movie was about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, but I assumed it was about the 52 captives who were held for 444 days. I knew nothing of six Americans who left the U.S. embassy as it was being taken over and took refuge in the Canadian embassy - which is where this story focuses.

And yes, it's a true story. Clinton declassified the information in 1997.

The cast is strong - consisting of a few, what I would call, medium names: Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Kyle Chandler (as Hamilton Jordan!....nicely cast), John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Chris Messina and Clea DuVall (who is always great - even in this limited role).   .....oh and Adrienne Barbeau (don't turn away or you might miss her).

I don't mean 'medium names' to demean the actors. Maybe a film full of character actors would be better. Over the top billings would have taken away from the movie itself. The script, direction and acting were strong and subtle.   ...and oddly enough, it kept up the suspense.

I don't know if it is Oscar worthy yet.......but I guess I'll keep in mind as Mike's next contest comes up on two and one-half months.

Blobby recommends.



Song by: a Flock of Seagulls