Wielding Neptune's Spear

The operation that killed Osama bin Laden is not without controversy. Anything surrounding terrorism is, and always will be, a loaded subject. Some people even accuse Kathryn Bigelow's movie Zero Dark Thirty of being a propaganda piece. I have no comment on all of that, because I just write about movies as movies.

As an aside, apparently, 2012 was the year of the CIA movie since Zero Dark Thirty lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to Argo. Yeah, yeah, but what about this movie?

This movie is all about Jessica Chastain, and she rightfully earned a Best Actress nomination for her role as Maya. More to the point, this movie is all about Maya's obsession. It shouldn't come as a surprise that she is obsessed with finding Osama bin Laden. With each event Maya believes she is getting closer to finding bin Laden, but that isn't really the case.

The supporting actors are all quite solid, such as Kyle Chandler and Jennifer Ehle, but the two that really stick out for me were Reda Kateb (as the detainee Ammar) and Jason Clarke (as the CIA officer Dan). The interaction between Ammar and Dan is uncomfortable on many levels, but it would be hard to say it isn't convincing. There is also a considerable amount of torture in the film. You've been warned.

This movie could easily fall into the category of "not needing to see again," not because it is a bad movie, but because it hits a little too close to home. You already know the story, and yet the tension is there. So many emotions surrounding the subject matter are evoked by the film that it could be the kind of thing you don't want to revisit.

9/10, although I reserve the right to roll it back to 8/10 if I ever watch it again. I thought it was a great movie, but there's something about it I can't put my finger on.

Fake Movie, Real Acting

Argo is a very good movie. Ben Affleck manages to continue directing engaging, and gripping films. I would have never guessed that from the guy in the southie tuxedo in Good Will Hunting, but it is the current reality.

For those that don't know, Argo is based on the Iran Hostage Crisis, and specifically the Canadian Caper. This isn't required knowledge to enjoy the movie, but it helps you with context. I went into the movie knowing a little about these historical events and it didn't ruin my movie experience.

I think that John Goodman's performance in this movie sticks out above all the others. For some reason I totally bought him as the Hollywood insider, injected enough into the industry, but detached enough that he would have the freedom to indulge his inner patriot and help the CIA. Also, I really liked the main revolutionary guard that holds them up at the airport, I think the actor is Bahram Khosraviani. It was a small role, but I thought he nailed it.

It's kind of odd to try to analyze the movie, because it is based on actual events, so I can't really complain about a bunch of plot points. However, not all of the facts are known about the event, and as such I do think that the way that they portrayed things was well done. I didn't feel like they made the scenes too Hollywood. I guess you could quibble about the bazaar scene, or the escape from the embassy, but that seems a little extreme to me. The ending was for sure a little dramatic, and I read that the former Canadian ambassador was a bit miffed that Canada's role was not played up to its actual level, but other than that I think the movie was pretty compelling.

Solid movie which was an easy choice for Best Picture, 8/10, will see again

A Lonely and Secret World

I re-watched The Good Shepherd and I must say that it is far darker than I remember. I can't help but feeling quite sorry for Edward. The life that he eventually lives can't be what the budding young poet had in mind. There really is nothing happy about the movie. The movie is not only dark from a thematic standpoint, but it is also just dark in general.

I remember the first time I watched the movie I was enthralled with the story it told about the CIA. This time around I was much more interested in the story of Edward. The movie is in part about the CIA, but really it is about the rise of, and compromising of, Matt Damon's character. He dutifully does as he is asked throughout the movie, but then he goes and has his dalliances throughout the film. He is a very flawed character, but I found him a very compelling character. He is obviously pained as he goes through his life, but he rarely shows it on his face.

The movie did a good job of pacing that I don't recall from my first viewing. It is a long movie, but it does cover a lot of ground. The story it tells, if you are a fan of Cold War history, is one that will keep you connected to the film. The supporting cast is excellent, although I thought Angelina Jolie's character was a little off. I think they should have cast someone a little less va voom, and a little more conservative.

This is Robert De Niro's film (he directed it) because his character takes the cake. His lines are full of gems about the nature of the CIA. Although he was obviously a bigot, he was the only character who showed concern for the agencies place in American society. The movie ends with Lee Pace's character Richard Haye's calling Damon the "heart and soul" of the agency. That was almost exactly what De Niro advised a young Edward against happening.

I should mention something about Edward's son. The dynamic between the two is fairly straightforward: Edward, the distant father; Edward, Jr., the starving for approval son. What is interesting to me is that Edward does sacrifice his son's happiness because of his commitment to a higher duty than his family. Yet another tragic layer to an already tragic figure.

Good movie. A bit confusing at times, but I would watch it again for sure.

7/10, already own it, gonna watch it again.