The story of Ben Affleck’s Hollywood comeback has reached its apex with “Argo,” his third and most assured movie as a director. It’s a perfectly constructed Hollywood thriller that effortlessly blends sparks of humor with tense plotting that doesn’t rely on gunfire and explosions.

And Affleck makes it all look easy. Anyone still want to make “Gigli” jokes?

Based on a true story, Affleck stars as CIA agent Tony Mendez, an expert at getting people safely out of hairy situations. The setting: 1979, Iran. The American embassy has been invaded with several Americans taken hostage, but six of them escape the building and take shelter at the home of the Canadian Ambassador. With tensions rising, Mendez concocts a plan to sneak the Americans out as the Canadian crew of a fake science fiction film. (more…)