# Argo: Good Film, Not Great Film \[Argo reviews thread\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627 "2012-10-13T17:06:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/41 "2012-11-16T15:04:53Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’ve reported this to be merged into the other thread. Done. I left the ‘“Argo” the real movie’ thread separate because it’s a slightly different subject. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/42 "2012-11-25T08:40:35Z")
Saw it at last. Mostly good, with unfortunate implications wrt to the portrayal of Iranians, but par for the course for Hollywood. I am most interested in what became of the protagonists? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/43 "2013-01-14T10:31:09Z")
**Bump** Argo won the Golden Globe award. It beat Lincoln? Life of Pi? Sorry, WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/44 "2013-01-14T13:57:53Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > **Bump** > Argo won the Golden Globe award. It beat Lincoln? Life of Pi? Sorry, WTF? Really?! Wow. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/45 "2013-01-14T15:55:45Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > **Bump** > Argo won the Golden Globe award. It beat Lincoln? Life of Pi? Sorry, WTF? OP here, and I still stick to my original post that Argo was a good film, but not a great film and certainly didn’t deserve to win. The Golden Globes are voted on by a smaller group than the Oscars, consisting solely of foreign correspondents who I think are more interested in getting big names to show up at their awards. For example, who doesn’t like Meryl Streep? But she didn’t exactly get tons of accolades for Hope Springs, and I don’t recall seeing her name on any other critic’s list, but she was nominated for a Golden Globe - most likely because they simply like Meryl and why not have her show up and look pretty? (Granted, she was a no-show due to flu or knowing she had no chance to win, but still…) The point is, Golden Globes is really more of a popularity contest than a true barometer of best of the best. Sure, sometimes they get it right, but more often than not they simply pick the winners based upon who they want to meet and have a few drinks with. Nothing inherently wrong with the nerds inviting the popular kids after school for milk and cookies, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the most popular kids are the best, smartest, most-talented kids in the school. Ben Affleck sort of got screwed by the Oscars - they give him Best Film nomination, but think the film was directed by itself? So I guess it was nice that the Golden Globes gave him an “attaboy” award - but it really wasn’t all that great of a film. This was the equivalent of giving little Jimmy a big gold star on his homework, when he really should have just gotten a “C+” instead. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/46 "2013-01-14T19:18:11Z")
I misspoke. My assessment is the same as the OP’s, it’s a good film, but not deserving of accolades such as this. I would have given it to **Life of Pi** , personally. Related question. Allowing for the fact that the Golden Globes has two categories of best film, how many Oscar Best pictures have not won at the Globes recently. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/47 "2013-01-14T20:56:06Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I misspoke. My assessment is the same as the OP’s, it’s a good film, but not deserving of accolades such as this. I would have given it to **Life of Pi** , personally. Related question. Allowing for the fact that the Golden Globes has two categories of best film, how many Oscar Best pictures have not won at the Globes recently. 2010 Globe winners: _The Social Network/The Kids Are All Right_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _The King’s Speech_ 2009 Globe winners: _Avatar/The Hangover_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _The Hurt Locker_ 2007 Globe winners: _Atonement/Sweeney Todd_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _No Country for Old Men_ 2006 Globe winners: _Babel/Dreamgirls_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _The Departed_ 2005 Globe winners: _Brokeback Mountain/Walk the Line_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _Crash_ 2004 Globe winners: _The Aviator/Sideways_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _Million Dollar Baby_ 1995 Globe winners: _Sense and Sensibility/Babe_ ; Oscar Best Picture: _Braveheart_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/48 "2013-01-14T20:56:50Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Ben Affleck sort of got screwed by the Oscars - they give him Best Film nomination, but think the film was directed by itself? In fairness, the Oscars feature nine Best Picture nominees and five slots for Best Director – so **Zero Dark Thirty** didn’t direct itself, and **Django Unchained** didn’t direct itself, and **Les Misérables** didn’t direct itself, but, y’know, they’re already full up. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/49 "2013-01-15T02:51:47Z")
I haven’t seen all the big category nominees yet, but I’ve seen about half and Argo is my favorite non-animated film of the year so far. I couldn’t look away. There’s something really compelling about Affleck’s films, which really surprise me. Sure, I’m a fan and I like him, but I don’t expect to be impressed by him. What I think made it great for me is that I knew what was going to happen, but I was still on the edge of my seat. That’s good storytelling. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/50 "2013-01-15T16:04:55Z")
I’ve only seen five of the nominated movies so far, but I think _Argo_ is still my favorite. I keep going back and forth between it, _Pi_ and _Lincoln_. But today my list is: 1. Argo 2. Life of Pi 3. Lincoln 4. Silver Linings Playbook 5. Les Miserables And I really liked SLP a _lot_, and also thought Les Mis was good. It was a really good year for movies. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/51 "2013-02-25T05:08:41Z")
Sorry **DMark** but **Argo** did win. And it defeated some pretty great competition. 😉 Any idea why? Did they decide this as an apology to Ben Affelck for the shit piled on him in the early 2000’s? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/52 "2013-02-25T12:02:17Z")
I actually thought it was… kind of dumb to be honest. I certainly didn’t think it belonged in the same category with Lincoln. Am I the only one? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/53 "2013-02-25T12:08:01Z")
The script was completely by-the-numbers. For example, the maid. We have no idea who she is or what she’s like or why she does anything she does. She exists simply and only to add a (false) note of drama at the point where it would be nice for the movie if there were a bit more drama. (Her final scene in the film is a transparent (and incomprehensible really) attempt to remedy this.) Every character in the film is a simple, one-note, function-fulfilling automaton. The acting in the film is just about exactly at the level of the script–just getting it done. I don’t know… I just couldn’t figure out why it was being thought of as “best picture” material. Best picture? Argo fuck yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Anomie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Anomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anomie)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/54 "2013-02-25T12:33:01Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > The script was completely by-the-numbers. Yeah, that’s what I thought. It was a _good_ film, but nothing special or original. It was easily the least good of the best picture nominees I’ve seen, (I only missed Beasts of the Southern Wild). I’ve no doubt it will come to be mentioned in the same breath as Crash. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/55 "2013-02-25T13:20:18Z")
I thought the same about previous nominees, like _The Descendants_ and _Midnight In Paris_. Cannot figure out why they get such a big response when they’re really ordinary films. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/56 "2013-02-25T13:25:49Z")
It was entertaining, but more fiction than not. You have to understand that it won the BP Oscar for one overriding reason: Hollywood just loooooves movies about itself. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/57 "2013-02-25T13:31:10Z")
To be fair, Argo was good. Quite gripping, and really well shot I thought. But, best picture? Not really. Affleck should probably have had a nod for best director, as I think he did an excellent job, but the story just wasn’t strong enough for best picture. A lot of the drama seemed a bit forced (eg “Oh no, there is no one there to answer the phone. Oh wait, they answered it”) I think it comes down to Hollywood likes a film where Hollywood saves the day. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/58 "2013-02-25T13:45:38Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] Every character in the film is a simple, one-note, function-fulfilling automaton. The acting in the film is just about exactly at the level of the script–just getting it done. [/QUOTE] Heh. I can’t help but imagine a couple of the actors performing Take One of a scene: they’re brimming with complex emotion during an intense and intriguing conversation about stuff that has nothing to do with the main story, and everybody on the set even bursts into spontaneous applause as the performers wrap up, and… …consultant Tony Mendez furiously strides over to Affleck, saying _“Damn it, that’s not how it went down! I lived for by-the-book professionalism! I prided myself on being a one-note, function-fulfilling automaton! I’ll quit, and speak out against this film, unless you cut that scene and dial things down to Just Getting It Done!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/59 "2013-02-25T13:58:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Am I the only one who thought Argo wasn’t that good? Lots of Canadians. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627/60 "2013-02-25T14:02:47Z")
> **["Am I the only one who..."](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=682515)** > > No. You’re not. I’m glad I can clear this up for everybody. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argo-good-film-not-great-film-argo-reviews-thread/637627.md?page=4)