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Ben Affleck in his directorial debut 'Argo'
This week sees the release of Ben Affleck's newest directorial effort, “Argo”. Based on the true
story of the CIA and Canadian Government's crazy plan to stage a large fake Sci-Fi movie
production in order to get six hostages out of the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979, the movie has
received great critical praise and has been talked of as a possible frontrunner for the Best Picture
Oscar by many, including famed critic Roger Ebert.
So... how exactly did Ben get to this place? A decade ago, Bennifer was its peak and running wild.
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Now, Ben Affleck is one of American cinema's finest auteurs, one of the best young directors Food
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working behind (and in front, for Affleck's case) the camera. (And yes, 40 years old is a pretty Beckii
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young age for directors.) Who woulda thunk?! In retrospect, we take a look at Ben's best and worst ‘The Delicacy’: The
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Ben Affleck toiled in relative obscurity in his early years as an actor. Having worked as a child
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2. The best and worst of Ben Affleck - Singapore Movies - inSing.com Movies 2/15/13 5:58 PM
actor, Affleck would appear in a PBS children's series, “The Voyage of the Mimi”, as well as
several other made-for-TV movies. Most people however, would remember him for his “good
looking asshole” type roles in Richard Linklater's teen classic “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and
Kevin Smith's “Mallrats”. Affleck's partnership with foul mouthed indie moviemaker Smith in Beckii C Cinema... Movie... Bagaholicb...
particular, would bear fruit in 1997, with a turn as the leading man in Smith's “Chasing Amy”. In this
heart wrenching movie that also explores gender roles, sexual norms, friendship and more, his Featured Series
performance as a comic book artist torn between his former lesbian girlfriend and his best buddy
still stands as proof that Affleck can act, with the condition being that it's the right kind role for him.
(Hint: No action hero stuff.)
2. Oscar Winner/Mainstream Success
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1997 would prove to be a banner year for Affleck. Besides the success of “Chasing Amy”, Affleck
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would achieve another career accolade by teaming up with another buddy, occasional on-screen Critics' Reviews New Arrivals
and always and forever off-screen bro Matt Damon. Though he did have a role in the movie as the Interviews Tech Weekly
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best friend of Damon's unrecognized genius character, Will Hunting... their biggest success would
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come from the fact that the fearsome brosome co-wrote the screenplay together. The movie would Giveaways
garner an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay – producing what could still possibly be the most What’s New
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Affleck would move onto blockbuster type movies – certainly more higher profile material but
questionable creatively and critically. Such movies would include Michael Bay's “Armageddon” and
“Pearl Harbour” and also the Marvel Comics adaptation, “Daredevil”. All this while, he balanced it
with another Smith effort “Dogma”, the Jack Ryan thriller “The Sum of All Fears” and popular
thriller, “Chasing Lanes”. The influx of bad acting roles and increased paparrazi attention would be
a sign of things to come for Affleck's career.
3. The Bennifer Era
“Bennifer” would signal a nosedive for the fortunes of Affleck's career. Razzie nominations and
wins would stream in for a string of bad movies – “Daredevil”, “Paycheck”, “Surviving Christmas”,
“Gigli” and “Jersey Girl”. Affleck and Jennifer Lopez seemed to be on every magazine – People,
US Weekly... they were on there, probably with some crazy made-up rumour. People were getting
sick of Affleck, whether deservedly or otherwise. Kevin Smith's “Jersey Girl”, while not a great
movie by any sense of the word, probably didn't deserve all that bashing. Though, the J-Lo cameo
at the start of the movie probably didn't help either...
4. Renaissance Man
After the whole Bennifer fiasco, Affleck made the smart move to lie low for a while. He would make
a triumphant return in “Hollywoodland” (2006), playing George Reeves, the actor who brought
Superman to life in the television series of the '50s. Ironically, Affleck's experience during the
“Bennifer” period of his life, where he was reduced to nothing but a mere punchline whould serve
him well. George Reeves, while grateful to the fame and riches the Superman role had brought
him, had always envisioned himself doing more serious acting gigs. Ben's own experience served
him well in this role, knowing the helplessness of watching his career become a joke but not being
able to do anything about it.
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3. The best and worst of Ben Affleck - Singapore Movies - inSing.com Movies 2/15/13 5:58 PM
5. Ben Affleck, Director
The very next year, Ben Affleck would continue his reinvention with his directorial debut, “Gone
Baby Gone”(2007). Affleck co-wrote the script based on the book of the same name by Dennis
Lehane. The movie centers around the kidnapping of a girl in Boston and the lives of the two
private investigators it affects. Ben directs his brother Casey in a modern neo-noir thriller, a morally
ambiguous affair that'll have you questioning yourself as the events in the movie unfold. The film
made many “Best Of” lists at the end of the year and is considered one of the best directorial
debuts of all time. Affleck's natural skill at coaxing good performances out of his cast is obvious,
perhaps due to his own experience working as an actor.
His next film, “The Town”, would arrive in 2010. Once again set in his hometown of Boston, the film
was also co-written by Affleck and based on a novel, Chuck Hogan's “Prince of Thieves”. Affleck
plays Doug, a former pro hockey prospect now dabbling in the world of crime, who robs a bank
together with three other childhood friends, Jem (Jeremy Renner), Gloansy and Dez at the start of
the film. A manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) is taken hostage but eventually released
without harm. Knowing that Jem will probably eliminate her, Doug takes it upon himself to follow
Claire but they eventually grow closer. Doug gets increasingly unhappy with the criminal lifestyle
and the lies he has to keep telling to sustain it. Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent Frawley (Jon Hamm)
gets closer to busting the gang for their crimes... The film's action sequences are sharp, quick to
the point but never forgettable. Most memorable is perhaps the film's sequence in the iconic
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. A smartly written action thriller with a perfectly cast
ensemble that evokes memories of Michael Mann's “Heat”, Jeremy Renner would go on to win
Best Supporting Actor (including an Oscar) nominations for his portrayal of Jem.
Ben Affleck has shown us thus far that he has a flair for smart, tightly plotted material as well as the
ability to get the very best out of his actors. He even coaxed a good performance out of Blake
Lively in “The Town”!
With a broad scope of film experience under his belt, we can all look forward to Ben Affleck's future
work, where he will hopefully bring us to even more unchartered ground. And hopefully eradicate
any trace of “Bennifer” left in our memories.
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4. The best and worst of Ben Affleck - Singapore Movies - inSing.com Movies 2/15/13 5:58 PM
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