Based on a true story, the Oscar-winning feature is full of thrilling suspense as six American embassy staff, trapped in Tehran during the 1979 US hostage crisis, are smuggled out of Iran.
As anti-American sentiment reaches fever pitch with the storming of the American embassy and hostages taken, six members of the consular staff slip out of a side door and take up hiding in the Canadian Ambassador’s residence. To get them out, an audacious plan proposed by CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck – The Town, Gone Girl) involving the scouting of locations for a Hollywood film is reluctantly accepted. A production office is created, plans and casting for the film announced as a full background failsafe is created. It’s easy to get Mendez in, but a lot harder to get six more out.
Directed by Affleck himself and, with a strong emsemble cast, Argo is a full-on, knife’s-edge entertainment as the likes of terrified staffer Joe Stafford (Scoot McNairy – Gone Girl, Monsters) needs to convince security forces he arrived in the country only two days earlier. Back home, Mendez’s boss (Bryan Cranston – Trumbo, Why Him?) can only wait.
Nominated for 7 Oscars in 2013 including best supporting actor (Alan Arkin), sound editing, original score, won 3 – best film, editing, adapted screenplay (Chris Terrio – Justice League, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker).
Rating: 84%
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