Argo

2012. 120 minutes. Rated R.

“You need somebody who’s a somebody to put their name on it. Somebody respectable. With credits. Who you can trust with classified information. Who will produce a fake movie. For free.”

Anytime someone makes a film about a historical event, the real key is to sell it despite the fact we already know the outcome. Argo takes a little known story, attaches it to a much bigger one, and markets it to the moon.

This true event begins in 1979 in Iran. A voiceover explains the recent history of the country, when the British and Americans combined to install a Shah, who was pretty horrible. Many years later, that Shah was deposed and fled to asylum in the United States while the Ayatollah Khomeni came to power. The film picks up when the Iranians, furious about the U.S. harboring a man they thought should pay for his many crimes, retaliate by storming the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of hostages for over a year. Many of us remember the Iran Hostage Crisis, as it came to be known. What we didn’t know is that six Americans (played by Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham and Kerry Bishe) who worked at the embassy managed to sneak out the back door when the building was swarmed, escaping to the Canadian ambassador’s house. In the chaos of the takeover, and with shredded documents, the Iranians didn’t realize a few slipped through their fingers. The film is primarily focused on the CIA’s daring attempt to rescue the six.

Enter Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez, an exfiltration expert in the CIA. The six have been hiding at the Canadian ambassador’s house for months, but time is running out for them. Anti-American feelings are running hot and high, and searches for anyone and everyone with contacts to the U.S. result in killings. It is only a matter of time before the six are discovered and likely executed.

Several bad ideas are introduced for the rescue, but Mendez comes up with their best “bad idea” while watching a Planet of the Apes flick on TV. He contacts movie makeup artist John Chapman (John Goodman) and pitches the idea of going to Iran pretending to scout locations for an upcoming science fiction film, while sneaking the six out as part of the film crew. Chapman helps Mendez to find producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin, always stellar) who is willing to go along with the shenanigans. The cover story has to be strong in case it gets checked out, so the trio search for a script they can use that would be plausible to film in the desert, prompting Lester to say, “If I’m going to make a fake movie, it’s going to be a fake hit.” Eventually, Mendez stumbles across a ridiculous science fiction adventure called Argo and they go to work marketing the film. One of the funniest scenes is when they hire actors in full costume to stage a public read through and there are brazen Star Wars rip-offs, including a blue-furred Wookie and a cyborg similar to C-3PO.

Meanwhile, back in Iran, the six are anxious at the Canadian ambassador’s home. The housekeeper Sahar (Sheila Vand) becomes suspicious of these houseguests who never go out. In a sweatshop in the embassy basement, the National Guard is putting together the shredded documents, including photos of the employees, eventually turning up the fact that some of them are missing. Security is tightened at the airport even further.

Mendez flies into Istanbul and then goes on to Iran and on to the house, introducing his idea to the six. It is met with skepticism, especially when they only have a couple of days to get their covers straight and escape. The situation becomes even more complicated when the U.S. end of things begins to collapse. Can they fool the National Guard and multiple levels of security to get home again?

Now, you may already know the answer to the question. What the film does really well, however, is make this story line suspenseful. The tenseness in the scenes is palpable. The hostile eyes upon the pretend Canadians is piercing as they try and play their roles. The entire escape hangs upon the edge of a knife multiple times. It can unravel at any moment and somehow, Affleck behind the lens makes us believe it.

As an actor, Affleck is adequate in his performance, but as a director he is masterful at guiding the plot and characters. To balance out the suspense, there are multiple humorous lines, injecting much-needed levity for the audience. Did the number of last-second scrambles that continued to enable the escape of the Americans really happen that way? I would say probably not, but the storytelling of the film can’t be faulted.

From the opening scenes right up until the closing credits that showed photos of the real people involved, I was hooked into the movie. I laughed when laughs were to be had and I squirmed in anxious sympathy when the jig could have been up. I was impressed that Affleck didn’t shrink from assigning the U.S. blame for our part in installing a shoddy leader in Iran. That the country was ripe for revolution and deservedly angry at our meddling was portrayed passionately.  It made all of the namecalling and bullying we have around our political leaders and elections seem silly in comparison.

Strong performances from the cast round out this excellent film. It is a movie that has no true star, but instead depends heavily upon the full roster of actors to be solid. I was as drawn in by Tony’s boss Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) as I was by Victor Garber playing the Canadian ambassador or by Kyle Chandler playing Carter’s Chief of Staff.

I doubt many audiences who view this film will be disappointed in it. Argo delivers a fine mix of suspense and behind the scenes machinations from the CIA to Hollywood that will rivet anyone. A definite feather in the cap for Affleck as a rising star in directing.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w918Eh3fij0]

Author: Noelle

Share This Post On