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In 1979 Iran had a revolution. Its aftermath and impact are still sufficient to justify a film in 2012. A diplomatic thriller, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, the film succeeds in handling heavy material without being as hard work to watch as Oliver Stone’s JFK. The picture has apparently proved so controversial that an Iranian film director wants to put across their side of the story. It would be juicy to know what behind-the-scenes machinations have led to such talk. Winston Churchill once said that Russia was ‘a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’. And much the same could probably be said today about the Islamic Republic of Iran. But Affleck may be more interested in his legacy than in international controversy. Is Argo his way of wanting to leave behind something with artistic integrity that will stand the test of time? George Clooney, another Hollywood A-lister who looks great in a beard, gave us Syriana. Perhaps few were expecting such a carefully crafted piece of political intrigue from the man who headed up the cast in Ocean’s Eleven. But here he was speaking Farsi and fearlessly playing the doomed broker in a deadly game between East and West. Ben Affleck’s role in Argo is arguably more straight-forward than Clooney’s in Syriana, but what it lacks in depth is more than made up for by the fact that Affleck is directing Argo himself. And the opening narrative demonstrates courage when you consider that quite a few cinema-goers in America will smart at the suggestion that the USA had some role to play in creating the new Iranian regime in the first place. It doesn’t take a genius to see the obvious parallels that exist between Syriana and Argo. Both features tread boldly into the minefield of the US-Middle Eastern culture clash. Both strive to show that Hollywood understands rather than oversimplifies the issues – even when Washington doesn’t. Dare we say that both movies – to a great degree – succeed? For more Argonomic thoughts click here!
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Argo, Syriana, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Iran,
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