Affleck... the Director!

Ben Affleck the actor probably never won the range of accolades that Ben Affleck the director has already won, even though the portfolio of the latter encompasses no more than three films, with the last one being the recently released Argo. But when someone can hit a hole-in-one three times in a row, achieve critical success followed by commercial one, you would be a fool to not see that here is a real talent whose qualities lie more behind the camera rather than in front of it. As an actor, I still liked Ben Affleck though was never over-awed by him. He broke into the minds of the movie goers as the side-kick of Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, the movie that famously won the duo an Oscar for Best Screenplay. What followed were memorable but not remarkable roles in Armageddon, Pearl Harbour and Daredevil (ya ya, you are free to disagree!).

But it was in 2007, when the real Ben Affleck stood up, with the release of Gone Baby Gone, his directorial debut (holds an IMDB rating of 7.8). What followed was The Town in 2010 (IMDB rating of 7.6) and Argo in 2012 (IMDB rating of 8.5 presently, though that is likely to moderate somewhat). Ben Affleck has played the lead character in the last two movies, and yet you may just happen to be unaware of that. For you are simply in awe of the way the story has been handled, nothing short of how the best cook would ensure the perfect icing on a cake. Affleck’s movies so far have been about characters, about people and their emotions, their ways to deal with varying situations. The movies have been filled with a range of feelings... hope, angst, love, fear, hate, so beautifully intertwined that one emotion effortlessly switches with another taking you and me along with it.

And yet each one of Affleck’s movies cannot be termed as a ‘Drama’ film for it has involved a thrilling fast-paced aspect to it that keeps you riveted. It is a unique combination, one that is easy to goof up with. But when you do not, you end up with works of art... as Affleck has done! It comes as no surprise to me that his name is being linked to directing a Justice League film in the future. When you remember that Affleck is only a mild 40, there is still a lot of great work that can be expected from him... as he continues depicting human emotions in its truest form with the cleverness of a director that understands the audience and its tastes. Ben Affleck the director... I await your next masterpiece!