GUS RUELAS / Reuters

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Ben Affleck admits it's not easy watching Michael Douglas kiss Matt Damon in their upcoming Liberace film, "Behind the Candelabra."

"Pretty jealous, pretty jealous," the "Argo" Oscar winner cracked Tuesday night at the premiere of his new movie, "To the Wonder," when we asked if he was envious of Mr. Douglas.

He added, "It burns me up. You know, I feel the envy in my heart. I can't stand it."

Remember, Damon does refer to Affleck as his "hetero life mate."

"I saw 'Behind the Candelabra,'" Affleck said Tuesday. "I don't know about the hetero part anymore."

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"Candelabra," directed by Steven Soderbergh, is the real-life story of Liberace and his very tumultuous relationship his much younger lover Scott Thorson.

Slideshow: Ben Affleck

Matt Sayles / AP

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"I've seen it," Affleck said. "It's spectacular to see. Matt is amazing. Michael Douglas is amazing. (Steven) Soderbergh's brilliant."

While the film is "light" and "fun," Affleck said, "It's also quite resonate."

We cannot wait.

Also at Tuesday's premiere, sponsored by Disaronno and Fiji Water, were Affleck's costars Rachel McAdams and Olga Kurylenko, Zachary Levi, Katie Aselton, Mark Duplass, Justin Chatwin and Wes Craven. 

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It's a little late to hurt Argo's Oscar chances at this point, but Ken Taylor doesn't intend to let the Ben Affleck-directed film win Best Picture in peace this Sunday. 

Pinpointing historical inaccuracies in this year's crop of Oscar nominees has been quite the sport these days, be it the wrong senator voting against the 13th Amendment in Lincoln or the major uproar from Washington, D.C., over the torture depicted in Zero Dark Thirty.

And, albeit somewhat more quietly and politely, Taylor--the former Canadian ambassador to Iran played by Victor Garber in the film--has been banging the drum for what he perceived to be a huge slight toward his role (and his country's) in the rescue of six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979.

Ben Affleck talks Argo's Oscar prospects

"In the movie, Canada and Ottawa didn't exist," Taylor told the New York Times' Carpetbagger blog. "It's a great film, it's great. But at the same time, it was a Canadian story that's been, all of sudden, totally taken over by the Americans. Totally."

"I don't want to be hard on Tony Mendez," he added, referencing the CIA agent played by Affleck who led the covert op. "I want to give him all the credit I can. But at the same time, I'm a Canadian, and enough is enough."

Taylor also told the Associated Press today that it would be "a further reflection" on Affleck if Argo wins Best Picture and he fails to thank the Canadians who played such a huge role in the real-life version of events.

See the 10 best-dressed stars ever at the Oscars

Jimmy Carter, who was president of the United States at the time, said on Piers Morgan Tonight yesterday that, while he was hoping for a big night for Argo at the Oscars, "Ben Affleck's character in the film...was only in--stayed in--Iran a day and a half. And the main hero, in my opinion, was Ken Taylor, who was the Canadian ambassador who orchestrated the entire process."

Taylor, who says he was not invited to Argo's premiere at the Toronto Film Festival last year, said during a talk at Toronto's Ryerson University on Feb. 14 that, "after I saw the movie, I decided that I did bring one particular skill to this movie, that was opening and closing a door.

"We could go on, but the amusing side is the script writer in Hollywood had no idea what he's talking about." 

Don't miss Ben Affleck's first short film--it's "atrocious!"

The 78-year-old Taylor did attend a special screening of Argo in L.A. and was interviewed for the bonus features on the DVD and Blu-ray, which came out Tuesday, and he says he was able to address the issues he had regarding Argo's depiction of the Iranian people and other discrepancies he perceived.

With only a few nights to go till the Oscars and with SAG, DGA, PGA and Golden Globe Awards under his belt (to name a few) so far, Affleck wrote to the Carbetbagger that he's "surprised to hear that Ken still has issues about the film, as the last time we had contact was a few weeks ago when Ken asked me to narrate a documentary about the Iran hostage crisis that he is prominently featured in."

See all the films nominated for Best Picture heading into the 2013 Oscars 

"There would be a very compelling film that is primarily about the heroism of ambassador Taylor before Tony Mendez even hears about the crisis--and, in fact, that film already exists (1981's Escape From Iran: The Canadian Caper--starring Gordon Pinsent)," Affleck added. "We weren't interested in remaking that film."

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Poor Boston: Take a look at the films Hollywood makes within your borders and you'd think the whole place was flooded with guns, mobsters and mercenary Harvard students.

On the other hand, go, Boston! You appear to also be packed with geniuses and passionate sports fans. And in all cases, you'd be right. Here's a look at eight of the best Boston-based, (largely) Boston-made films out there. So pahk yer cah in our yahd a moment and check 'em out!

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Ask any Bostonian to name the quintessential Boston film, and they're almost guaranteed to mention the Peter Yates film based on the novel by George V. Higgins. Robert Mitchum plays the title character, a gun-runner for the local mob in Boston who tries to save himself by becoming an informant, but ends up in very murky waters. The film uses the city to great effect, wandering from the legendary Boston Garden to suburban Brookline back to roughneck South End and ending at City Hall.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

The story behind "Good Will Hunting" is in some ways better than the film itself: Two childhood friends, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, collaborated on the screenplay about an MIT janitor (who's a secret math genius, but also psychologically troubled) who matures and tries to reach his full potential underneath the mentoring eyes of his shrink, best friend and girlfriend. It won the virtual unknowns two Oscars and propelled them to Hollywood stardom, crowning them the kings of Boston big-screen storytelling.

Mystic River (2003)

This Clint Eastwood-directed film based in Boston's working class Southie neighborhood follows three neighborhood friends, one of whom was abducted and assaulted when they were children. Two of its stars, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, won Oscars for their performance in an uncompromising film about growing up lower-middle-class in Boston, and about trying to right very old wrongs.

Fever Pitch (2005)

What could go wrong? Jimmy Fallon, playing a diehard, life-long Red Sox fan, wins over Drew Barrymore thanks to his passionate commitment to baseball. Key scenes were shot on the Sox' home turf of Fenway Park, including one where Barrymore's character interrupts a game-in-progress to run across the field and declare her love. However, when the real-life Red Sox managed to win the World Series for the first time in 86 years in 2004, the movie's Sox-losing-playoff ending had to be re-written -- and re-shot in St. Louis, Mo.

The Departed (2006)

Perhaps the greatest irony about "The Departed" is that it won iconic New York director Martin Scorsese his sole directing Oscar -- for a film not based in New York. Instead, "Departed" takes Scorsese's patented gangster expertise and applies it to Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), a local Irish mob boss based loosely on the notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger. Leonardo DiCaprio goes undercover to get Costello, but Costello has his own mole (Matt Damon) in the Boston Police Dept., and things get rough.

The Town (2010) / Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Ben Affleck wants everyone to know: He's from Boston, darn it (even if he was born in California)! For his first and second directorial efforts, the man who shared an Oscar with Matt Damon for "Good Will Hunting" went back home to explore the criminal side of Boston's tougher neighborhoods. "Gone Baby Gone" ventures into Dorchester to investigate a kidnapping, while "Town" veers into Charlestown to find out what happens when a bank robber falls for a kidnapped victim. 

The Social Network (2010)

Boston isn't all hardscrabble working-class folk. Across the Charles River lies the heart of Ivy League academia: Harvard University, in Cambridge. Facebook's tricky conception and birthing pains play out on the rolling lawns and hallowed dorm rooms of the school, which sticks close to Harvard Square for about half of the film before relocating to sunny Palo Alto, Calif. 

Tell us about your favorite Boston movie over on Facebook!

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LOS ANGELES -- Actor-turned-filmmaker Ben Affleck won the top honor from his peers at the Directors Guild of America on Saturday for the movie "Argo", cementing the Iran hostage drama's frontrunner status for the Oscars.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Director Ben Affleck accepts the feature film nomination plaque for "Argo" onstage during the 65th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards at Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 2.

The Hollywood directors' recognition for Affleck, however, is an awkward result for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which failed to nominate him for best director in what is considered one of the biggest snubs of this year's Oscars.

Since 1948, there have been only six occasions when the Directors Guild of America (DGA) winner has not gone on to win the Oscar for best director.

"I have nothing but respect for the Academy," Affleck said after collecting his first DGA award. The Hollywood star, a producer of "Argo", said he was thrilled the film was nominated for the Oscars' best picture award.

"You are not entitled to win anything," he said.

"Argo" has picked up the three top awards from the industry's guilds, whose members are also often members of the Academy.

Last weekend, the film was the victor at both the Producers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild awards, leaving Steven Spielberg's Civil War-era epic "Lincoln" in its wake.

Affleck also won best director at the Golden Globes while "Argo" won Best Drama. The Oscars will be held on February 24.

On Saturday, Affleck bested four directors who had all previously won the top DGA honor and gone on to win the Best Director Oscar.

It has been a particularly tough awards season for Spielberg, nominated by the DGA for the 11th time with "Lincoln" and a two-time winner for "Schindler's List" in 1994 and "Saving Private Ryan" in 1999.

Chris Pizzello / AP

Lena Dunham poses backstage with the comedy series award for "Girls"' at the 65th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards.

"What an incredible year for movies," said Spielberg. "Maybe I've had moments when I wished it wasn't such an incredible year."

Affleck also beat out Kathryn Bigelow, nominated for Osama bin Laden-manhunt thriller "Zero Dark Thirty," Ang Lee for his 3D adaptation of the bestselling novel "Life of Pi", and Tom Hooper, for his screen adaptation of the hit musical "Les Miserables".

In "Argo", which is based on a real account, Affleck also plays the lead role of a CIA agent entrusted with extracting six Americans from revolutionary Iran after the U.S. embassy is stormed. The agent, with help from Hollywood, creates a fake film and makes the Americans part of the crew.

"There was a point in my life where I was really down and really confused ... didn't know what was going to happen and I thought 'I could be a director'," Affleck told the high-powered Hollywood crowd on Saturday.

"I don't believe this makes me a real director, but I think I am on my way," he said.

Another young director also collected a top award on Saturday -- Lena Dunham for best comedy series for "Girls", the HBO show about four girls in Brooklyn and their travails over sex, work and making it in the big city.

"This is surreal, which I know is an over-used Los Angeles word," said Dunham, who often appears in the show she created wearing little or no clothes.

ABC

Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Jimmy Kimmel and Andy Garcia on "Jimmy Kimmel Sucks."

Matt Damon finally got his revenge on Jimmy Kimmel. The actor took control of Kimmel's late-night show Thursday night, starting with the credits -- the ABC show's title was tweaked to "Jimmy Kimmel Sucks" and the host's face had been defaced -- and continuing through the monologue, guest interviews and conclusion of the show.

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The show started out with the video that had been released earlier in the day of Damon with a bound and gagged Kimmel, whom he had kidnapped. After the credits rolled -- where all the guests, including the musical act, were announced as being "Matt Damon" -- the actor wheeled Kimmel out on stage, still tied up with duct tape and gagged with a necktie.

"Welcome to tonight's episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Sucks.' I am your host, Matt Damon," he said. "Let me ask you this, as an audience is it weird to see a person with actual talent host this show?"

Damon went on to explain that Kimmel had bumped him from the show "1,205 times" -- a reference to when Kimmel first started his talk show and began signing off with the line "Apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time" -- the joke being that no guest that he had on air possessed the star power of Damon.

He said he'd been "waiting for this moment for a long, long time. This is like when I lost my virginity except this is gonna last way longer than one second."

Damon also likened himself to Luke Skywalker and Kimmel to the Death Star, saying of Kimmel: "He's big and round and easily destroyed through his garbage hole."

He continued: "Look at Jimmy over there, with a gag in his mouth. You've never been funnier, my friend. Jimmy Kimmel is to late-night talk show hosts what Magic Johnson is to ... late-night talk show hosts."

Damon also went on to make some changes at the show, including replacing sidekick Guillermo with Andy Garcia -- who came complete with heavy, Guillermo-like accent -- and bandleader Cleto Escobedo Jr. with Sheryl Crow (who later performed her new single, "Easy"). Ben Affleck also popped up as a cue-card holder who demonstrated his loyalty to Kimmel, while Robin Williams dropped by to do jokes during the monologue.

"This is unbelievable -- it took Jimmy 10 years to accomplish what I just accomplished in 90 seconds," Damon said of the show's changes.

He explained that the origin of all the "hatred and bitterness" is that Kimmel is an aspiring actor and Damon has beaten him out for every role he wanted. A video of Kimmel's "auditions" showed him trying out for roles in "Good Will Hunting," "Adjustment Bureau," "Happy Feet 2," "We Bought a Zoo," "Stuck on You" and "The Bourne Ultimatum," during which Kimmel was confused about who was playing Jason Bourne despite the fact that the movie was the third in the Damon-starring franchise.

VIDEO: Matt Damon kidnaps Jimmy Kimmel ahead of long-awaited "Live!" appearance

A slew of A-listers popped up as guests -- Nicole Kidman, Gary Oldman, Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon and Demi Moore -- all of whom continued the joke, saying that Kimmel "f------ sucks" (Kidman), is a liar who once cooked DiGiorno's Pizza and passed it off as homemade (Moore) and slipped the tongue during an on-air kiss (Adams).

At one point, Damon quipped: "Jimmy is always complaining about how hard it is it book celebrities on this show. We're only halfway through and I've booked seven big celebrities -- and that's not even counting me!"

Several other famous faces -- along with Kimmel's parents -- also appeared in recorded videos to praise Damon. Said Don Cheadle: "Thank you for allowing America to laugh again." Kimmel's parents, meanwhile, told Damon that he was "the son we always wanted."

Damon also brought out Kimmel's ex, Sarah Silverman, with whom Damon shot the "I'm F------ Matt Damon" video that went viral in 2008 (Kimmel and Affleck later released a follow-up, "I'm F------ Ben Affleck"). Silverman described her relationship with Kimmel to the fill-in host.

"You know when you're in New York and you pass those hot dog vendors and you think, 'I'm not going to eat one, it's not for me,' and then the smell gets to you, and you pound two or three of them? And then later one, you're puking, 'Why did I put this inside of me?' And you think about the encasing and all the entrails that are probably in there? So I guess it's like that."

Kimmel, incidentally, barely uttered a word during the entire episode despite being onstage the entire time.

At the end of the show, Damon asked Kimmel: "Is there anything you want to say before we wrap things up? Wait, I'm sorry, we're out of time."

During the East Coast airing, Kimmel tweeted: "You win this round Matt Damon. But I will win the war."

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As the Golden Globes event approaches zero hour -- that's Sunday night, for those keeping track -- TODAY's Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie wanted to get the inside scoop on what to expect on both the red carpet and the big stage on one of the industry's most-anticipated nights of the year. 

First off, Guthrie, reporting from Los Angeles, sat down with senior fashion editor at Marie Claire magazine Zanna Roberts Rassi to go over the eye-catching looks actresses and (sometimes) actors will trot out on the carpet. Rassi was enthusiastic about relative newcomer Jessica Chastain (a nominee for "Zero Dark Thirty"), calling her a "fashion plate." The pair also discussed Jennifer Lawrence's (nominated for "Silver Linings Playbook") tendency to change hair color, and noted that Lena Dunham (nominated as an actress in her show "Girls") is great for keeping it real and not worrying about her body type.

Anticipated trends for the carpet, said Rassi, include black and white combos, "extreme" ruffles and "strategically-placed" skin, despite the low temperatures expected for Sunday evening.

Vote for your Golden Globes favorites!

Later, back in New York, Lauer chatted with Access Hollywood correspondent Michelle Beadle, asking her to prognosticate on who will "walk away with the hardware" from the evening.

Beadle liked "Lincoln" as a best picture and "Les Miserables" for the best musical or comedy award (the Globes separates the genres, while the Oscars does not); she also leaned toward Anne Hathaway to pick up an award for her short role in "Les Mis." 

"When she sang 'I Dreamed a Dream,' I think that nailed it for her," said Beadle.

The best director list includes three names who were considered snubbed by the Oscars: Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino, and she anticipated that Affleck would take the Globe Sunday. "Expect a funny speech out of him because I do think he feels dissed by the Academy for Oscar time," she said.

Affleck, 'Argo' win at Critics' Choice Awards

Over in best actress for a musical or comedy, Beadle had a big raised fist for Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"). "She's young, she's smart, she's the new Hollywood without all the drama and stuff off the screen," she said.

Finally, the pair explored best television drama, and the vote was for "Breaking Bad" to take it home. "This is a tough category; all five of these are obviously strong shows," Beadle said.

Later, Beadle returned for a special Globes-themed "Take 3" segment, sitting down with TODAY's Willie Geist and Tamron Hall and E!'s Jason Kennedy (Guthrie weighed in from L.A.). They compared their own predictions in key categories -- Kennedy and Geist agreed that "Argo" deserved best picture; Hall and Beadle went for "Lincoln," which left Guthrie going it alone on "Zero Dark Thirty." Viewers choice? "Lincoln."

The biggest surprise? Hall, by her own admission, hadn't seen any of the movies being discussed. "My opinions are solely based on the -- I do read a lot -- all of the reviews," she insisted.

Geist promised to hook her up with screeners so she could watch the films at home.

They also noted that the pairing of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to host the show would be awesome. "We can boldly all predict and agree that they are going to be fabulous," said Guthrie. "There's no chance they're not going to absolutely kill it out there."

Be sure to check out the video to find out what else they had to say -- and tune in Sunday night starting at 7 p.m. ET for "TODAY at the Golden Globes" on NBC to see if their predictions come true!

Slideshow: 2013 Golden Globe nominations

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Ben Affleck's Iran hostage drama "Argo," "Lincoln" star Daniel Day-Lewis and "Zero Dark Thirty"'s Jessica Chastain were among big winners at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Thursday, taking honors for best picture, actor and actress, with Affleck nabbing the prize for best director.

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Director Ben Affleck accepts the best director award for the movie "Argo" at the Critics' Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday.

The all-star "Silver Linings Playbook" swept the comedy awards, winning best comedy film, best comedy actor for Bradley Cooper and best comedy actress, which went to Jennifer Lawrence.

The 250-member Broadcast Film Critics Association, the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, also gave the film its best acting ensemble prize at the event in Santa Monica, Calif.

Affleck, known mostly as actor and who was overlooked for directing "Argo" earlier on Thursday when the Academy Award nominations were announced, began his acceptance with the quip: "I would like to thank the academy," before adding "I'm kidding. This is the one that counts."

Day-Lewis won for his acclaimed performance in the title role of Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln," while Chastain took the prize for "Zero Dark Thirty," about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis accepts the best actor award for "Lincoln" at the Critics' Choice Awards.

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Actress Jessica Chastain accepts the award for best actress for "Zero Dark Thirty."

It was one of only two awards for "Lincoln," which led the Oscar nominations with 12. The Oscar runner-up, "Life of Pi," won only two technical awards.

Lawrence took home two awards, also winning best actress in an action movie for "The Hunger Games."

"Critics aren't so bad," she said as she accepted the award, later riffing on the line when she won her second award, for "Silver Linings Playbook," saying "Seriously, I love critics."

Many stars who were nominated just hours earlier for Oscars, Hollywood's top honors, were on hand, including "Les Miserables" star Hugh Jackman, Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, who won the award for best supporting actress for "Les Miserables."

Best supporting actor went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for "The Master."

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Actor Bradley Cooper accepts the award for best actor in a comedy movie for "Silver Linings Playbook."

Director David O. Russell dedicated the "Silver Linings" award to his son, saying "I made it to give him hope," adding, "That's my silver lining."

European director Michael Haneke's drama "Amour," about an aging couple struggling with failing health and mortality and which scored several major Oscar nominations on Thursday, won the award for best foreign language film.

The prize for best sci-fi/horror film went to "Looper," while "Searching for Sugarman" won best documentary.

The screenwriting awards were won by Quentin Tarantino for his original screenplay for "Django Unchained" and Tony Kushner who adapted the screenplay for "Lincoln."

British singer Adele's song "Skyfall" from the James Bond film of the same name won best song, and star Daniel Craig was named best actor in a action film. The film also won best action movie.

Danny Moloshok / Reuters

Actress Quvenzhane Wallis poses with the best young actor or actress award backstage for her role in "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

Nine-year old Quvenzhane Wallis, star of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" who became the youngest best actress Oscar nominee in history on Thursday, was named best young actor or actress. She accepted her award clutching a pink-cased electronic device, from which she read her speech as she grinned broadly.

The awards were handed out ahead of Sunday's Golden Globes and a slew of other award shows that narrow the field for the Oscars, which will be held on Feb. 24.

Writer-producer-director Judd Apatow received a special "genius" award created to honor "an unprecedented demonstration of excellence in the cinematic arts."

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Bryan Cranston and Ben Affleck in "Argo."

REVIEW: "Argo" is a crackerjack political thriller told with intelligence, great period detail and a surprising amount of nutty humor for a serious look at the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-81. Proving even more than before that he’s a behind-the-camera force to be reckoned with, Ben Affleck tells a dense, multilayered yarn “based on a declassified true story” with confidence and finesse, while its unlikely Hollywood angle will make the hometown industry crowd feel proud of itself. From all points of view, this is one the major releases of the fall season.

VIDEO: "Argo" trailer: Ben Affleck offers first look at new thriller

The current perilous state of U.S.-Iranian relations can only heighten the interest and relevance of this fascinating sideshow to the main event, as a reminder of a dire turning point in modern history for those old enough to remember it and as a pertinent history lesson for people under 35. The truth about the “best bad idea” the CIA could concoct to rescue six U.S. embassy workers who had escaped the compound was unknown until 1997 and even then did not receive enormous publicity.

A stylishly succinct prologue made up of cartoons and documentary footage lays out in simple terms what led up to the departure of the Western-supported Shah and the advent of the Ayatollah Khomeini and fundamentalist Islam in Iran in 1979. Visceral scenes convey the desperation of American embassy workers to burn or shred sensitive documents before the raging mobs break through the gates and invade the premises, where they quickly take 52 hostages.

But more than two months later, the Iranians still don’t realize that six Americans managed to slip out and take refuge in the still-operating Canadian embassy. With his CIA colleagues at a loss to figure out how to sneak the six out of Iran, bearded, longish-haired agent Tony Mendez (Affleck), who has already extricated some of the Shah’s cronies out of the country, happens to catch a bit of "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" on TV and hatches a scheme both bird-brained and brilliant: He’ll approach the series’ prosthetics expert (real-life Oscar-winning makeup artist John Chambers, wonderfully played by John Goodman) to help set up a phony science fiction project with sufficient plausible reality that he might be able to get the six out of Iran posing as Canadian production personnel who’d been on a location scout.

STORY: Telluride 2012: The Oscar Season Begins

Thus follows a most amusing Hollywood interlude for which the cynical remarks of a veteran producer with some time on his hands, Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin at his deadpan best), set the absurdly funny tone. Lester insists that the picture must appear to have a degree of legitimacy to it, so an existing Star Wars-type rip-off script called "Argo" is purchased, a reading is held at the Beverly Hilton with costumed actors, and ads are prepared.

So while Lester cracks that, “We had suicide missions in the Army that had better odds than this,” the CIA, fronted here by Mendez’s boss Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston), surprisingly approves what it calls “the Hollywood Option.” The necessary doctored passports in hand, Mendez heads for the Canadian embassy in Tehran, where he meets six fellow Americans who are scared stiff.

The final act of the highly skilled screenplay by Chris Terrio, whose other principal credit is for directing the little-seen 2005 film Heights, ramps things up from cold-sweat tension to seconds-ticking suspense in traditional movie-movie fashion, even down to a pretty implausible but undeniably exciting climactic chase. It would be a major surprise indeed to learn that things actually went down just as they are shown to have done here. But if you want a strictly factual account, you’d probably rather be watching a documentary, which Argo decidedly is not.

Still, the film goes to great lengths to achieve an authentic feel and an outstanding sense of period. Turkey ably stands in for Iran in crucial exteriors; the many phones, communication and copying machines are right; and the fashions -- from the tacky casual wear sported by most characters to the outsized glasses frames -- are spot-on in their infinite hideousness. The old Warners logo from the period is used upfront, and the studio’s famous water tower has even been relabeled to duplicate its look at the time. Rodrigo Prieto’s superior cinematography affects a deliberately grubby look entirely in keeping with locations and desired feel of sweaty squalor.

Evocative use is made of TV news clips, from Mike Wallace’s in-person interview with Khomeini to glimpses of the very young-looking Ted Koppel and Tom Brokaw. Small details are telling, such as how an Iranian passport official crosses out “Kingdom of Iran” on a form and scrawls in “Republic” instead, and how a British Airways flight attendant announces the end of alcoholic beverage service once the plane enters Iranian airspace.

STORY: Telluride 2012: Screening of Ben Affleck's 'Argo' Opens Fest, Stirs Oscar Talk

Although the dramatic conclusion comes as no real surprise and represents the merest drop of cheer in a sea of unpleasantness between the United States and Iran over the past 33 years, it nonetheless delivers a strong charge of honest emotion, especially surprising for what in format is a genre film. The final explanations of how the real story of the mission was finally revealed includes a voice-over by Jimmy Carter, who was president when it all took place.

Except for the showier turns by Arkin and Goodman, the performances are credibly utilitarian, led by Affleck as a smart agent who has learned not to tip his hand through outward displays. Cranston as Mendez’s boss and Victor Garber as the stalwart Canadian ambassador are similarly solid and unostentatious.

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Valerie Macon / Getty Images file

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck is quite the gentleman. While driving around Santa Monica, Calif., Saturday, the "Argo" star accidentally knocked the mirror off a parked car, but made sure to leave a note on its windshield before leaving the scene.

Jennifer Garner Talks Brangelina and Ben Affleck's "wonder sperm" with Ellen DeGeneres.

"Hi, knocked off your mirror! Very sorry! Will cover everything--Ben," the note read, along with his contact information, according to Just Jared.

The 40-year-old thesp was later spotted taking his adorable daughters Violet, 6, and Seraphina, 3, to McDonalds.

Check out pics of these other famous families!

We wonder how surprised the car owner was to find that contact info!

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Jennifer Garner and husband Ben Affleck.

Talk about oversharing. Appearing on Thursday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jennifer Garner offers a powerful glimpse into hubby Ben Affleck's powers of procreation when DeGeneres asked the actress if she's pregnant and whether she thinks the couple would ever expand their brood beyond the three kids they have.

"No, I definitely ... I plan to be done. But my husband is kind of a wonder sperm kind of guy," says the "Valentine's Day" star.

More from E: PDA of the day: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck keepin' the love strong

Considering the twosome met on the set of their 2003 superhero flick, "Daredevil," maybe super spawn isn't out of the question. 

Garner also tells the host about how much she enjoys taking care of their 6-month-old son, Samuel, and Ben playing with their two daughters, 6-year-old Violet and 3-year-old Seraphina.

"You know his girls are so into him," said Garner. "He's all about ..."

"Tea parties," quipped DeGeneres.

"He kind of excels at playing baby doll," the 40-year-old actress said.

More from E: Jennifer Garner takes baby Samuel, Violet and Seraphina to the plant nursery!

Garner is quick to add that she and Affleck are no match at parenting compared to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

"Oh man ... talk to Brad and Angie. They seem to have it together," joked Garner.

"I don't know how they remember all the names," cracked Ellen. "They have like 10 kids."

More from E: See more pics of mamas and their cute chicks 

Said Jen: "I call my kids Shiloh sometimes."

Garner returns to theaters in the upcoming ensemble comedy, Butter, opening Oct. 5.

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Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck, you're no spring chicken anymore. Gracing the cover of Details' October issue, the acclaimed actor-director opened up about how Blake Lively, his co-star in "The Town," made him realize he's not the 25-year-old wunderkind anymore who won an Oscar with Matt Damon for co-writing "Good Will Hunting."

While filming the crime drama three years ago in Boston, Affleck took the newly minted Mrs. Ryan Reynolds on a tour of the city and suddenly realized she didn't even know his famous connection with his best friend and old screenwriting partner, with whom he grew up in Beantown before the two took Hollywood by storm.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively get married in secret ceremony!

"When I was doing 'The Town,' I'd tour the actors around Boston. I was with Blake, and I saw Matt's childhood home," Affleck recounted to the magazine. "And I said, 'Oh yeah, that's where Matt grew up.' And she said, 'Who?' And I said, 'Matt Damon." And she said, 'Oh my God! You know Jason Bourne?!'"

Then it hit him.

"She really didn't know. And I thought, 'There it is. The first age of people who are adults who missed the whole Matt-and-Ben propaganda campaign!" he added. "Mostly, it just made me feel old."

Well, Ben, you are over the hill now, having just turned 40 last month!

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To be fair, the 25-year-old Lively was only 11 back in 1998 when "Good Will Hunting" came out and made Affleck and Damon household names, so the "Gossip Girl" star can be forgiven for not knowing about the hoopla over them at the time. (We guess she didn't see Mindy Kaling's spoof of Affleck in the latter's 2003 off-Broadway smash Matt &Ben, either).

In the article, aside from discussing his latest acting and directing project, the period political thriller "Argo," Affleck also talked about the challenge of balancing his devotion to his big-screen career with being a good dad to his three kids with actress-wife Jennifer Garner.

"Anytime you think, 'I'm wasting my time here,' the first thought you have is 'I could go home and be with my kids,'" noted the actor. "Now, you may go home and be with your kids and very quickly start thinking, 'I wonder what's on the work front?' Because running around after three kids is very trying. Now everything has to compete with being my family."

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