I managed to watch the first third of ARGO

[George Butterfield]

I watched about the first third, then asked my GF, "What do you think?", she said "It stinks". Does it get any better? Should I try again? I'm an old man and my time is valuable. What's with this? Why did it get best picture? I'll probably watch it all to see if I can figure out why it won. But if I watch all of ARGO am I going to feel like a fool? The "we love ourselves inside Hollywood angle", was that it?

 

[Nick Morrison]

I watched about the first third, then asked my GF, "What do you think?", she said "It stinks". Does it get any better? Should I try again? I'm an old man and my time is valuable. What's with this? Why did it get best picture? I'll probably watch it all to see if I can figure out why it won. But if I watch all of ARGO am I going to feel like a fool? The "we love ourselves inside Hollywood angle", was that it?

I mean different strokes for different folks. I LOVED Argo. I took it as a COMMENTARY on Hollywood & film-making (notice how "making a movie" resolves an international crisis). And the cinematography is fantastic - they shot the "LA" scenes in Anamorphic, and the Tehran scenes spherical.

I love the LA scenes...I thought they were hilarious.

And the authenticity of how Tehran looks and feels I think is superb too.

For me...it was an allegory about the power of film-making and its ability to move people and nations.

I thought it was one of the best movies last year.

But again, we are all entitled to our opinons.

 

[Mike Quill]

George, I thought Argo was awful too. Cannot understand how it won best picture. No character development whatsoever; I couldn't even distinguish one person from another. Saw it in theaters and wanted to walk out the entire time.

Mike

 

[Scott Crawley]

I think they walked a fine line developing a character who is a covert agent and therefore an enigma by definition, but the early clues were there in the brief shots of him at home. Characters reveal themselves in the way they respond to stress. There was no shortage of that in Argo.

Did you really feel as if you unable to understand the characters?

George, I thought Argo was awful too. Cannot understand how it won best picture. No character development whatsoever; I couldn't even distinguish one person from another. Saw it in theaters and wanted to walk out the entire time.

Mike

 

[Glen Powell]

As a Canadian I thought it was great work of fiction… No real bearing on what actually happened, beyond it took place in Iran.

 

[Nick Gardner]

I really have to ask then, what films do you like? I thought Argo was one of the best films I have seen in the last 10 years. What's the baseline? What's a great film to you?

Off the top of my head, here are a few films I think are excellent and are in pleasant company with Argo-

The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Road Warrior
Children of Men
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Sunset Boulevard
Come and See
Miami Blues

I am genuinely curios as to how someone can have an issue with that movie. I thought they killed it.

Nick

 

[Gunleik Groven]

Saw Argo by chance on a plane. Was really sceptical. Often am on "true stories", but I found it very entertaining, despite its predictable plot and known outcome.

But then again, I live in Norway. Wadda I know about Iran or Hollywood?

 

[Gavin Greenwalt]

I watched about the first third, then asked my GF, "What do you think?", she said "It stinks". Does it get any better?

Enjoyed it all the way through. So... I guess "no" it doesn't get any better haha.

 

[Jeremy Torrie]

It was all right. Not spectacular, but well-edited. Life of Pi so much better.

 

[Kyle Dones]

It was all right. Not spectacular, but well-edited. Life of Pi so much better.

I'm just going to throw in my two cents and leave it at that. The tiger in Pi was the only character I ever felt anything for. Which I thought was awful if a cg animal is the only thing I connected with. But it's all subjective right?

on another note, any body see the Tosh.o skit where he spoils the Oscar noms and declares tdkr best film for raking in a billion dollars after a massacre? ...it was a funny skit but I just thought I should also note while typing that I realize how insensitive I may come off finding humor in that...especially after admitting I couldn't connect on a human level to the characters of Pi...oh well I laughed. It's obvious Tosh hated Argo is what I'm getting at.

http://www.awardscircuit.com/2013/02/23/daniel-toshs-brilliant-oscar-and-spoiler-spoof/

 

[Ivan Kovax]

Kyle, Tosh hates everything. He could probably look in the mirror and be hillarious.

 

[Mike Quill]

Nick,

I think i just found Argo really boring. Sunset Boulevard is one my favorites! Hmm a few other favorites...Eyes Wide Shut, Chinatown, Vertigo, Taxi Driver, The Thing, Lost Highway, Interiors, House of Sand and Fog.
a few off the top of my head.

Mike

I really have to ask then, what films do you like? I thought Argo was one of the best films I have seen in the last 10 years. What's the baseline? What's a great film to you?

Off the top of my head, here are a few films I think are excellent and are in pleasant company with Argo-

The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Road Warrior
Children of Men
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Sunset Boulevard
Come and See
Miami Blues

I am genuinely curios as to how someone can have an issue with that movie. I thought they killed it.

Nick

 

[Ivan Kovax]

Michael,

We have nearly identical taste in films. I haven't seen Argo yet, but I am assuming that I will find it boring too. Maybe I should just be a massochist and jump in...

 

[Nick Gardner]

Huh, those are all good ;-) I may have my opinion colored by having spent a lot of time in the middle east including Iran. Although most people I know liked it a lot as well. I have had a few friends who just weren't into it. I do find it interesting in that technically it's great. Art direction is top notch, acting is great, shot beautifully, but some people just don't find the story interesting.

My 8 year old son sat on the edge of his seat for all of Bridge on the river Kwai (the entire first act of which is two old foreign guys yelling at each other), and asked me to turn off Lord of the rings because it was boring ;-)

Nick

 

[Mike Quill]

Cool. What are some others you like?

Michael,

We have nearly identical taste in films. I haven't seen Argo yet, but I am assuming that I will find it boring too. Maybe I should just be a massochist and jump in...

 

[Mike Quill]

Lol, that's funny about your son. The LOTRs trilogy definitely gets tedious. Haven't seen a lot of the films you listed. Will have to check them out.

Huh, those are all good ;-) I may have my opinion colored by having spent a lot of time in the middle east including Iran. Although most people I know liked it a lot as well. I have had a few friends who just weren't into it. I do find it interesting in that technically it's great. Art direction is top notch, acting is great, shot beautifully, but some people just don't find the story interesting.

My 8 year old son sat on the edge of his seat for all of Bridge on the river Kwai (the entire first act of which is two old foreign guys yelling at each other), and asked me to turn off Lord of the rings because it was boring ;-)

Nick