I know Van Morrison once declared that “When I cleared up my diction I had nothing left to say” but is that really any excuse for half the dialogue in this film to be virtually unintelligible. Someone should have had a quiet (not too quiet) word with the sound editor!
A thriller based on the Tehran American hostage incident in the diplomatic crisis with Iran, Ben Affleck is both lead protagonist and director.
Affleck’s picture seems to pay significant debt (deliberately) to the style of 70s classic thrillers from the likes of Alan J Pakula but it isn’t anywhere near as good. It’s a very solid undertaking, undeniably helped by the fanciful but nonetheless accurate subject matter (make it up, no-one would believe it), there’s a strong and well played comic undercurrent and the tension builds significantly at all the right moments. Affleck’s directorial homage is also very stylishly achieved and the dialogue is tight and well paced when you can hear it but, even so, best picture? Of the whole year? Surely some mistake!