Oscar Nominations 2013: Argo

I cannot confess to being Ben Affleck's biggest fan. I think he has been perfectly decent in many of the films he has starred in, but I was not keen on his writing debut with chum Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting. Now Affleck not only stars in a film, but for the first time, he has directed it too, and what a treat he has given us.

After the rise of Ayatollah Hosseini led to riots and violent rejections of all things Western in 1979, Iranian mobs in Tehran set upon the American embassy and eventually broke in taking everybody they can capture as hostages. Argo tells the true story of a CIA operation to evacuate, six staff who escaped the American embassy and who took refuge inside the Canadian Ambassador's house. Many plans were hatched but few provided a good chance of success, until Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), an exfiltration expert, came up with a harebrained scheme to evacuate the escapees by going to Iran under the guise of filming a sci-fi movie.

What results is a thriller the plot of which seems almost unbelievable until you remember that, for the most part, it is true. Some of the embellishments should be mentioned, and they are without doubt where most of the film's criticism has come from. A number of those involved in the incident have been offended by their perceived roles and the rewriting of history. The British Ambassador at the time of the crisis has reacted angrily to not only being written out of the film, but being portrayed as unhelpful during the rescue. According to the ambassador, Sir John Graham, the American escapees stayed at the British Embassy for one night before moving to the Canadian Ambassador's residence. Perhaps the motives for avoiding this part of the story for a Hollywood film are obvious, maybe even necessary, but revising the history of an event is unforgivable.

Despite numerous historical inaccuracies, and there are plenty, they are not always obvious and unless the viewer is an expert, they do not remove from the experience of the film. It follows the template of a basic thriller, but the story is so utterly fascinating that it feels a little more fresh than that. It is filled with suspense, allegedly far more than actually existed, and by and large this makes the film all the more enjoyable. However, sometimes, this suspense has clearly been injected and feels needless and overdone. The final chase sequence is the moment that feels most orchestrated and apparently it has little base in reality. It was also unnecessary, and one feels that under the guidance of a more experienced director the film could have been dealt with a little more subtly. That being said, it could have been a whole lot more 'in your face' and it refrains from being the star spangled patriotic story that it so easily could have become.

A positive point must be made of the set, costume and overall atmosphere of the film that radiated a real feeling of the time. It looked and felt like the late 1970s, where so often in the past films set in the late twentieth century could have been set at any point in the last 40 years rather than being precise. This was something that Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy did so well last year and Argo invites such comparison. Incidentally, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a more complete example of a thriller than Argo and yet it lead, to me at least, to one of the most criminal omissions by the Academy at last year's Oscars.

Argo is an enjoyable film and provides suspense and a strong sense of the time in which it is set. However, it is hard to overlook the historical omissions and revisions and once you know some of these truths, it becomes difficult to view the film through the same eyes. I look forward to watching Affleck's future projects now, especially if they remain this engaging, but I hope in the future he won't see it necessary to revise fact.

Oscar Nominations 2013: Lincoln

There has been much debate over the role Abraham Lincoln played in the abolition of slavery. Clearly he was central, but some have questioned his motives. The celebrated Emancipation Proclamation is said by some to have been a pragmatic move freeing up black men to serve in the Union forces during the civil war. There are others who claim that Lincoln had shown very little interest in abolishing slavery throughout the states until the proposal of the 13th Amendment. History lesson over.

With this in mind, I entered into watching this film with a degree of historical trepidation. I was worried that I would see a Lincoln full of grand patriotic fervour rather than an honest depiction. What I did see was a surprisingly understated representation of the man, complete with a few warts to add to his many commendable qualities. The impression left was that of a real politician and not the grand, larger than life figure represented by the seated statue on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

All that being said, this film is less about Lincoln and more about the final few months of the 13th Amendment's journey through the House of Representatives. Lincoln begins the film determined to abolish slavery before the end of the civil war, after which he would likely lose support for the proposal. Meanwhile, the South is losing the war and a delegation meet in Richmond, Virginia to discuss the conditions for surrender. Lincoln is running out of time. The result is at times like a long episode of the West Wing set in the 1860s, and I mean that positively. The film is filled with wrangles, deals and corruption in an effort to force this amendment through in time. Missing from this though is the West Wing's tendency to sentimentalise absolutely everything, and whilst some have criticised John Williams' score, I found it far more subtle than expected, missing that usual bombastic theme that can be so alienating.

One is of course instantly fascinated by Daniel Day Lewis' performance. The man has form, walking away with the Oscar for best actor a few years back for his mesmerising and intense performance in There Will Be Blood. Off the back of that, one would expect a similarly intense performance as Lincoln, but Day Lewis is far more talented than that. He downplays Lincoln and creates a softly spoken, mild mannered, but charismatic figure complete with his own hobble.

It is also worth mentioning Tommy Lee Jones' performance as the radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens who works closely with the president in gaining the support of conservatives and agrarian minded Democrats. His character is preparing to give up the political game but he is determined to make the abolition of slavery his final deed. Lee Jones plays his character passionately and does a fine job of portraying this throughout the film.

There is no doubt that this film is a hard watch, especially for those who have little interest in the story. I am not sure whether the success of this film should be measured on its ability to entertain a broad audience, but it is to the film's credit that it does not shy away from using technical and historic language. Some of my favourite moments come when the Republican goons visit a number of Representatives in an effort to get their support using any tool at their disposal. This reminds me of the best political dramas and provides the film with some of its best entertainment, building the suspense and forcing the audience to ask whether they will achieve the level of support required, despite knowing the outcome. On the topic of knowing the outcome, the end of the film is dealt with very well and rather originally, but I shan't spoil it for those who are unaware of Abraham Lincoln's fate, although I suspect anyone in such a position will not be rushing out to watch this film.

This film is compelling, strengthened by some very strong performances and stands as an epic. I suspect it will scoop a number of awards at this year's Oscars, especially considering its theme and the country where the majority of voters live. Furthermore, the film is far more subtle than I was expecting from Spielberg, who has made 'big' Hollywood films in the past. It is perhaps not going to be everyone's idea of an entertaining evening out, but it is intelligent and apparently historically accurate, therefore informative. It may be worth seeing just for Daniel Day Lewis' performance , but if the politics interest you, then it is a must see film.