I’ve been trying to find time to go see Argo since it was released, but I haven’t been successful. I have a hard time believing it is really better than Lincoln. Of course, historical accuracy is more important to me than the average consumer of Hollywood entertainment, so I am pretty biased against Argo since it isn’t historically accurate in the least. As far as I know, the story told in Lincoln really happened, and happened in much the way it is depicted. That alone makes one movie better than the other.
But, then, Lincoln demythologizes the 16th president, thereby making him greater, and potentially edifying the viewer. Argo mythologizes its characters and sanitizes history, leaving the viewer as clueless as the moment they entered the theater.
And, really, they actually failed to fact-check the opening to the point that they got the name of the Shah wrong? Holy crap.
That’s so pathetic that I’ve lost my desire to see this film. Best Picture, my ass.