Argo

*****
Dir. Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck has made some excellent dramas and thrillers over the course of his career, and Argo is no exception. This true story of the joint American-Canadian operation to extract six American diplomats from revolutionary Iran is one of the best historical dramas of the 21st Century.

The film opens with a narrative description of the events which led to the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979, and then displays a gritty and realistic depiction of the occupation of the U.S. Embassy. In spite of the 52 that spent 444 days in captivity, six escaped and were taken in by the Canadian Ambassador to Iran. When the C.I.A. finds out about this, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) proposes an idea to get them out of the country. His plan is to make the Iranian government think the hostages are Canadian filmmakers there to scout locations for a movie. Once he manages to get approval, he contacts producers Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and John Chambers (John Goodman), friends of his who work for a Hollywood studio. The fake film they schedule to make is Argo, a science-fiction picture set in the Middle East. With the help of this crew and his partner Jack O'Donnell (Bryan Cranston), Mendez embarks on the most daring mission of his life to save these men and women.

This is one of several films Affleck has both directed and starred in; but what makes it even more gripping than ones like 2010's The Town is how it delivers the story with an incredibly emotional appeal, and a tone that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout.

Chris Terrio's script provides the basis for Affleck's artistic direction. In spite of this being a Hollywood thriller, Terrio puts such emphasis on his characters that the action itself proves to be a less significant component of the film's success. While the main story is centered around the mission, there are some great subplots involving the hostages, as well as Mendez's relationship with his wife and son. From the opening sequence to the climactic finale, audiences are immersed in both the characters and the distorted world which they find themselves in.

From a cinematic standpoint, it's quite remarkable how Affleck makes you feel a part of the story. By implementing actual footage from the events depicted into the film, and at appropriate times, history is brought alive. Using primarily low-key lighting and a good number of close-up shots, the dramatic plot-line is made all the more intense. This is a dismal atmosphere in a time of fear and confusion, and Affleck utilizes a wide range of elements to make viewers connect with these characters' lives on an emotional level.

Acting wise, it couldn't have been better casted. Cranston and Affleck embrace their roles with a spirit of fierce determination. There's a scene at the end after the hostages have made it out, where Cranston's display of joy and relief is very reminiscent of Ed Harris' performance in Ron Howard's Apollo 13. Goodman and Arkin also give great performances, as their characters provide the film with a humorous element, while still maintaining serious objectives and motivations. Other noteworthy actors include Victor Garber as Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor, and Kyle Chandler as C.I.A. operative Hamilton Jordan.

All in all, this film is nothing short of breathtaking, presenting itself as a unique and brilliantly constructed thriller, after a series of flashy and unoriginal action movies over the last few years. Two thumbs way up.

DC News: Justice League is in the Works

On June 6, DC and Warner Bros. officially announced that a Justice League film is set to arrive in theaters in the summer of 2015, which is also when Marvel is scheduled to release Avengers 2. If this does indeed happen, it's obvious that DC is going ahead without first making movies for individual superheroes, such as Flash and Wonder Woman. Also, Nolan's Batman will not be featured, making yet another reboot of the character inevitable. I thought I'd share my thoughts on this project, and where I think it'll go.

First off, let me go ahead and share my ideal JLA cast and crew, which can also be found on IMDb.

Directors: Andy and Lana Wachowski; Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof; Producers: Wachowskis, Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas; Cinematographer: Wally Pfister; Composer: Hans Zimmer; Consultants: Bruce W. Timm, Geoff Johns

Now for the cast: Henry Cavill-Clark Kent/Superman, Nathan Fillion-Bruce Wayne/Batman, Terrence Howard-John Stewart/Green Lantern, Michael Fassbender-J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter, Chris Pine-Wally West/The Flash, Kate Beckinsale-Wonder Woman, Elizabeth Banks-Hawkgirl, Brad Pitt-Steve Trevor, Angela Bassett-Amanda Waller, Mark Hamill-Voice of Darkseid 

Those are my picks, but who knows how close it'll be to the finished product. While I am a hard core DC fan, I have plenty of concerns as to how they're gonna handle this project. The reason behind the success of Avengers (say what you want about it as a movie, but it did the characters justice) is because Marvel had it in mind from the beginning. There have been so many separate franchises within the DC cinematic universe that it will be difficult to culminate each one into a single film, especially for viewers outside the comic book world.

Despite the enormous impact and success of Nolan's Batman trilogy, the character will have to be reinvented in order to be incorporated into a world of aliens and monsters beyond Gotham. Whoever is given the task of composing this film's script will need to keep this in mind, so as to avoid duplicating Nolan's version.

Choosing which characters to include is another vital aspect of bringing JLA to the big screen. There are as many JLA heroes in the comics as there are Avengers, if not more. I picked these seven not only because they're the main force in the animated series, but because they're the best. This team has a great mix of personalities, powers, and each play a pivotal role in each other's stories. Once they are used, an assortment of others can be featured in sequels.

As far as the plot goes, I'm hoping DC will make this a trilogy, so long as the first installment proves successful. I would imagine an apocalyptic war with Darkseid to initially unite the team. If you look at the animated series and the New 52 comics, you'll see Batman investigating C.A.D.M.U.S. closely prior to an invasion of Earth, and Martian Manhunter's origin linked to these events. Get a solid writer or two on board and we can expect a good epic to launch the series.

My ideal title for a sequel would be JLA: Project C.A.D.M.U.S., which will document Amanda Waller's strive to end the ever-growing superhero organization, along with Lex Luthor's rise to becoming President (whom I think should be portrayed by Timothy Olyphant.)

Other heroes and villains I feel should come about in sequels would be Green Arrow (Norman Reedus), Red Tornado (Jon Hamm), The Atom (Ben Affleck), Dr. Fate (Laurence Fishburne), Black Canary (Morena Baccarin), Deathstroke (Liev Schreiber), Solomon Grundy (Ron Perlman), and Vandall Savage (Javier Bardem).

Justice League will be one of the biggest comic book films of all time, and has the potential of being one of the best. If done right, it will be gritty, compelling, and contain a wide range of characters. In order for this to happen, each cast and crew member must be carefully selected; and the script needs to be a knockout.

Memento (2000)

*****
Dir. Christopher Nolan
Before The Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception, Christopher Nolan was critically acclaimed for his independent films. These mind-boggling thrillers and film noir pictures included Following (1998), Insomnia (2002), and Memento (2000).

Memento is the story of a widower named Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), who suffers from short-term memory loss, and uses a system of notes and tattoos to hunt down his wife's murderer. Limited by his condition, he recruits the aid of a young woman named Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss), and a crooked cop Teddy Gammel (Joe Pantaliano). As he pursues his detective life, we see another plot line involving one of his former clients when he was an insurance agent, who also carries the burden of this disability. While this story is presented to viewers in chronological order, Leonard's is told backwards. As more and more pieces of the puzzle are displayed as the film progresses, they each culminate into a climactic finale which continues to mesmerize audiences over a decade after its release.

The most intriguing aspect of this film is the psychological impact it has on one's mind. Not only does Nolan tell a truly remarkable and unique story, but his ability as a director allows him to penetrate the deepest layers of the viewer's consciousness. His script, based on his brother Jonathan's short story, is a brilliantly composed piece of writing. While perplexing, it contains excellent characterization and well formulated dialogue. The construction of the plot departs from the standard Hollywood format, preventing viewers from guessing what will happen next, and instead allowing them to be fully captivated.

Pearce, Moss, Pantaliano, and every other cast member give terrific performances. Pearce presents his character as emotionally conflicted and for the most part alienated from society, but not unrealistic. Moss and Pantaliano are both dynamic and unique in portraying their characters, and how they relate to others. The internal and external conflicts are well balanced, effectively used, and very original.

This is a film which makes you think, experience, and interact with an assortment of characters and conflicts. Nolan's ability to incorporate a wide range of psychological themes into his movies, and use them effectively, is what makes him one of the best directors of the 21st Century.

Note: This and the last film I reviewed on here are both available to stream on Netflix.

My IMDb Lists

Follow this link to see all the lists I've compiled on IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur36611787/lists

These range from various titles and directors which I feel deserve recognition.