JJ Abrams Heads to a Galaxy Far Far Away

For the last few months I, like many other nerds I know, have been fixating on the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney and the new film entries into the Star Wars universe. Actually fixated isn’t the right word; more like obsessed. There definitely hasn’t been a day since the news broke on October 30^th that I haven’t thought about this at least once and it’s not like I haven’t had other things to focus on during that time. We’ve had three major holidays since then, I had to put my dog down, there were like a billion films released in theaters, and, oh yeah, I have a kid on the way in just over three months so the fact that Star Wars has remained such a priority in my mind is a strong indication of the level of dedication I have to this series. I might have a disease, actually. In that time, I would say the thing I have thought about most as it pertains to this subject is the question of who would direct the first film in the new series. This is because, in my mind at least, everything else about this film will fall in line with the director. I am, of course, incredibly interested in what the actual subject matter of the film will be, who will be cast in the leads, if Chewbacca will be a part of the cast (oh please oh please oh please), etc. but all of that will come together regardless. What I really needed to know, above all else, was who would be in charge of one of the seminal moments of my moviegoing career. Well, yesterday we got our answer in the form of JJ Abrams, a far bigger fish than I could have ever hoped for.

SIDE NOTE: There are people out there who have been quite snarky and whiny in their complaints about Abrams being handed this project. Comments about “lens flares” abounded on social media almost as soon as the news broke and reminded me about the dark side of social media. To those people I must say this: Today is not the day. When production on Episode VII begins, there will be plenty of occasion to lament Abram’s involvement or pine for a darker, more independent mind like Darren Aronofsky if you so choose. But today is a day for celebration because, at the very, VERY least, fanboys like myself can at least have faith that this movie will be well-made and enjoyable and not a money grabbing disaster like the last trilogy was and like many of Disney’s recent tentpole films have been.

When the news on the Disney acquisition came down, I wrote a longwinded piece on the events of the week and what it meant to the franchise. A big focus of this column was on the list of directors that could be targeted for this film. My list of the top four, all of whom I wrote off as impossible to obtain, included Abrams. Since then, I have become convinced that outside of Spielberg, Abrams was the best choice for the job (at least in the context of legitimate choices) and now that it’s actually happened, I remain convinced that this was the right way to go. There are certainly other directors who could have done an excellent job with this franchise. Brad Bird (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Jon Favreau (Iron Man), Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy), and others constitute a list of big name directors who may have been considered at one point or another and all of them would have brought certain skills to the table that might have worked quite well. Many of the film nerds I know and follow would have preferred to see the job go to a newer, riskier filmmaker like Neill Blomkamp (District 9) or Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code, and my personal number one choice in this category) but that was never going to happen because Disney wasn’t about to hand over such a huge project to someone who hasn’t handled a similar project before, especially after the failure of John Carter under the direction of Andrew Stanton.

Of all the big names that were bandied about (and seriously considered, apparently), the two that stood out for me (after Spielberg definitively turned the whole thing down) were Abrams and Ben Affleck. Affleck would have been a bolder choice, I must admit, and seeing as how he’s gotten better behind the camera with each effort and how Argo was my second favorite movie of 2012, I would have been pretty stoked about his involvement. If we were talking about a standalone Star Wars film (which is apparently in the plans once this next trilogy has concluded), Affleck would have been at the top of my list. His ability to craft and flesh out a great story would be a welcome asset to, say, a Boba Fett movie, a Young Han and Chewie movie, or an origin story about the founding of the Jedi Order (all of which should absolutely happen at some point). I hope at some point Affleck gets a chance to make one of these films. But since Disney is keen on starting their foray into the Star Wars universe with a brand new trilogy, I think Abrams makes the most sense.

For one thing, Abrams has history on his side. The Star Trek franchise was dead in the water when he came on board and completely rejuvenated it with his 2009 film that very well might be the best of the series. He showed a healthy respect for the mythology of the material while still taking steps to revamp it and give it room to breath away from the hardened rules that had been established through 40 years of exhaustive development through 10 movies and at five TV series’. His second film in the series, Into Darkness, is one of the most anticipated films of the year and looks to be incredible. Abrams is a guy who knows how to start a franchise and, more importantly, to restart a beloved franchise, a skill that will come in so very handily with Star Wars. Abrams also has a flair for sci-fi. He has produced two of the best sci-fi-related TV shows ever in Lost and Fringe and his cinematic stop off between Star Trek movies was 2011’s Super 8, a movie that I absolutely adore. On top of all that, Abrams is an incredibly smart guy (not that Affleck isn’t, of course) who understands the fanboys, from both the content and marketing standpoints. His recent bit on Conan, in which he released the first footage from Into Darkness, was a stroke of genius and served as a reminder that the guy understands his market.

In the interest of fairness, I understand the desire to see Disney go with a risky choice (which Abrams DEFINITELY isn’t) or to push the franchise in a darker direction with an edgier director. I think (and hope) that once this trilogy is over, we can look forward to something darker in a standalone, smaller budget sort of setting, which is a truly exciting proposition. But for now, let’s just revel in the glory of Disney avoiding a directing disaster (I have had nightmares about Gore Verbinski or Jon Turteltaub getting their respective hands on this project) and stealing Abrams away from the Star Trek franchise, thereby upping the odds that Episode VII will be the Star Wars film that I’ve been waiting for for almost 30 years. Now bring on the lens flares!

Review: Argo

The opening of Argo came at a bad time for me and despite my extreme excitement for the film, it caused me to wait a week before making it to the theater. In that time, the hype surrounding this movie went into full-on hyper drive, leaving me with an expectation level that stood somewhere between “top five movie of the year” and “greatest movie in the history of mankind.” I hate when this happens as it is supremely unfair to hold a film to lofty expectations that could not possibly be reached (see: The Dark Knight Rises). As such, you know you’ve just seen a GREAT movie when you go in with absurd expectations and it still manages to completely blow those expectations away. Such is the case with Argo, a spectacular endeavor that stands as nothing short of a masterpiece. During the Iranian Revolution of 1979, a large group of American citizens was taken hostage at the US Embassy and held for over a year. Just as the takeover began, a small group of six Embassy employees snuck out a backdoor and were harbored by Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), hidden away from search squads and forced to become hermits. With the pressure of the situation mounting, CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendes (Ben Affleck) devised a strange plan to bring them home by having them pose as a Canadian film crew in Iran to scout locations for a Star Wars knockoff known as Argo. As the Iranian army comes closer and closer to discovering the stowaways, Mendes makes a daring gamble that puts both his life and the lives of his compatriots at stake.

What a difference a few years makes. Six years ago, if you and I had made a $50,000 bet that in 2012, Ben Affleck would direct and headline the best movie of the year, then right now you would be in possession of a worthless IOU because you would be right but I don’t have $50,000. The guy who once starred in Gigli, Paycheck, and Jersey Girl back to back to back has become, through great effort and a rededication to his craft, one of the best filmmakers the industry has to offer and a personal favorite of mine. It’s a shocking turn of events, really. It started with Gone Baby Gone, a film that gets better and better over time, and continued with The Town, a film I absolutely love that doesn’t get nearly enough credit in my opinion. Argo, however, takes all of the promise, potential, and skill Affleck displayed in those previous films and ramps it up into an incredibly well-made and painstakingly attentive film going experience.

From the first moments, Argo sets the tone for what the audience should expect by throwing you directly into an insanely tense atmosphere that does not let up until the credits roll. It’s a very organic and natural progression that Affleck allows his story to build through and as it goes, so does the drama. Near the very end of the film, I found myself taking in a giant gasp of air that should only be reserved for trips to the surface of a pool after jumping off the high dive and realized that I’d barely been breathing for, oh, a solid hour. The first hour sets the stage meticulously for what is to come in a slow but still thrilling manner and in the final hour, as every aspect of the setup collides together, I found my pulse quickening and my heart pounding as if my own life depended on Tony Mendes’ plan. Without question, the second hour of Argo is simultaneously one of the most satisfying and intense hours of film that I have ever had the pleasure of watching. This is the very definition of a nail biter, and I mean that quite literally as the bloody stumps that used to be my fingers will attest. The simple way in which Affleck creates such a rich and thoroughly compelling dramatic thriller is an absolute stroke of genius that should (and will) be rewarded by every award committee worth its salt.

Across the board, the performances within Argo are on par with the direction and the narrative itself. These are subtle, understated portrayals turned in by one of the greatest cast of supporting players I can ever remember. The film’s IMDB page is a Who’s Who of tremendous character actors, all of whom fit their respective roles like a glove. Kyle Chandler, Bob Gunton, Chris Messina, Rory Cochrane, Scoot McNairy, Titus Welliver and more all receive various levels of screen time and all hit their marks wonderfully. The cast’s true glory, however, belongs to the trinity of Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and American Treasure John Goodman. As Mendes’ boss, Cranston brings a savvy mix of intensity and compassion to his role, making his character’s spring into action incredibly satisfying. It is great to see Cranston take on a film role that is equal to his immense talent after a recent string of less-than-stellar appearances. Arkin plays the fake movie’s producer and truly nails the no nonsense approach required by the role. You could argue that this is just Arkin being Arkin but my response would be, why mess with something great? He fits his role perfectly. And as a make-up artist with a CIA past, Goodman is…well, Goodman is magnificent. He maximizes his limited screen time beautifully, ensuring that every second he is on screen is memorable. When he is on his game, there are few in the industry who do supporting work better than Goodman. All of these performances (and many more I do not have time to highlight) serve to highlight the strength of Affleck’s own subdued portrayal which suits the film quite well.

Every aspect of Argo works in conjunction to create a film that everyone should be able to find merit in. It is well-shot, well-written, and extremely well-acted movie and one that I plan on seeing many, many more times and it might just be enough to make us all forget about Affleck’s past acting transgressions. Or maybe not. Gigli is really stinking bad.

Argo Director: Ben Affleck Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Scoot McNairy Rated: R (language, intensity) Recommended For: Every movie fan 12 years and up. Seriously, go see this one.