argo (2012). directed by ben affleck.

i can see why this movie won the oscars in 2012. tight direction, almost flawless. aside from planning and being bold, luck was on their side. those hostages were on the wrong side of the revolution, while as ordinary people they are blameless, america and britain had only themselves to blame for unseating a democratically elected prime ministera and leaving a power vacuum only to be filled by the islamists. perhapas that's why director ben affleck put it out there right at the start, to remind the audience of the sins of western governments in iran (or any formerly colonized countries for that matter). 

don't fuck with angry people. for context, this is worth watching. 

the town (2010). directed by ben affleck.

i heard this movie was compared to micheal mann's heat (1995). i beg to differ. as much as a lot of similarities can be drawn between the two movies, and the town is actually a very close remake of heat, the two could not have been more different. the main problem lies in editing, the town has this very laid back feel for a supposedly intense crime drama. some stories choose that path, like justified (2010/11), but when it is intense, you feel the intensity. this movie - nada. i feel vaguely threatened whenever jeremy renner came on screen as the volatile coughlin - and it was destined that if not for him i would not enjoy the movie at all. something about the car chase scene that evoked a sense of monotony instead of panic or excitement. i don't get the sense of speed, that urgency. it's odd that something like that could go wrong. 

that comparison to heat (1995) is certainly not justified. 

gone baby gone (2007). directed by ben affleck.

my brother had been egging me to watch this movie, since i think last year. i resisted. actors turned directors? ok i give credit to clint eastwood but can't say much for the rest, though i like nick cassavates' works. this is ben affleck's directorial debut, directing this brother casey affleck as the (anti)hero patrick kenzie. the movie is based on a dennis lehane's novel, the same guy who wrote shutter island (2010) and numerous other succesful book-to-movie adaptations. 

boy, for someone who doesn't expect much, i am impressed with ben affleck the director. he has a great material in hand, makes full use of it, and has the eye for directing. and the casting is top notch - morgan freeman, michelle monaghan, ed harris and titus welliver in the supporting roles.

lately i have been watching movies about people who has an unweilding sense of right and wrong. my brother calls such characters as "humphrey-bogart-in-the maltese falcon (1941)" . it is not necessarily about being just, but about being right. in this movie, patrick kenzie is a small time private detective who becomes involved in a missing child's case that turned out to be more complicated than just a junkie mother, a dead drug lord, a concerned relative and seemingly dirty cops. while his sense of purpose is unchanged and that he must save the girl at all costs, the choices he makes by the end of the movie makes me question - what is the point of all that purpose and integrity and intelligence if it is only to prove one point - that he is right? 

to me, it is useless. being right doesn't change anything especially when it comes to the well being of a child, who depends on others to take care of them. adults should suffer for their wrong doings should they come due, but not kids.

like all good things, great movies trigger the audience to think.