Pro: Ben Affleck has been showing steady improvement in his work behind the camera since his 2007 debut "Gone Baby Gone." Both that film and "The Town" had a presence at the Oscars in the performance categories, with the latter seriously threatening a Best Picture berth along the way. "Argo" is the culmination, a box office player with a story Hollywood loves, and Affleck's slick handling is likely to finally bring him some recognition of his own from the Academy. And typically, actors that make the transition to directing without missing the mark get plenty of love.

Con: If you have to find one (there aren't many), I suppose you could point to the potential for a film like this to peak early. It's in the limelight now but a lot of high-caliber contenders are on the way and once everything is on the table, things can get interesting. (But honestly, I already feel like I'm stretching here.)

- Kristopher Tapley