Argo

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2013)

Against films like Amour, Django Unchained, Les Misérables and Life of Pi this was the film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture, I was definitely up for seeing it, and I was intrigued by it being directed by the lead actor, Golden Globe winning, and BAFTA nominated Ben Affleck. Basically in Tehran there is concern by diplomats at the United States embassy when increasing protester rallies are outside the gate, angry with the CIA involvement in Iran, and with militants climbing over the gate all documentation is ordered to be destroyed, American soldiers stationed outside hold off the crowd with tear gas and smoke grenades. The incinerator faults and the remaining documents get shredded, hostages are taken by the militants who barge in, apart from six diplomats, Robert 'Bob' Anders (Tate Donovan), Cora Amburn-Lijek (Clea DuVall), Mark Lijek (Christopher Denham), Joseph 'Joe' Stafford (Scoot McNairy), Kathleen 'Kathy' Stafford (Kerry Bishé), and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane), who escape. Sneaking through Tehran they go to both the British Embassy and the New Zealand Embassy searching for a hiding place, before Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Titanic's Victor Garber) accepts them, their situation is kept secret, but the US State Department has to smuggle them out. CIA exfiltration specialist Tony Mendez (BAFTA nominated Ben Affleck) is consulted on the situation, there are no logical proposals, but his son on the phone gets him watching Battle for the Planet of the Apes on television, and he gets the idea to create a cover story, where the escapees will pose as a Canadian film crew scouting for tropical locations in Iran for a science-fiction film. Hollywood makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman), who has worked for the CIA previously, is contacted by Mendez and his supervisor Jack O'Donnell (Bryan Cranston), they meet film producer Lester Siegel (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Alan Arkin), and together they work on the fake film. Everything that would be set up for an authentic film is put in place, such as a phony film studio, a script for a film that they title "Argo", i.e. the spaceship, and they design it like a Star Wars style adventure to lend the film realistic credibility, and while this is going on the escapees are becoming frantic inside the residence of the ambassador. Iranian maid Sahar (Sheila Vand) discovers the escapees and their time hiding is running out, and at the invaded American Embassy the revolutionaries have discovered shredded photographs of six diplomats, so Mendez makes preparations for himself and them with Canadian passports and fake identifications. Mendez gets told that, even with all the publicity for the fake film convincing people it is real, the operation is being cancelled so conflict is avoided due to the planned rescue of hostages by the military, and against this decision he goes ahead with the plan, which forces O'Donnell rushes to get the mission authorised so that Mendez and the six escapees can get tickets for a Swissair flight. They all arrive at Mehrabad International Airport and start through the security checkpoints and gates with enough ease, but a group of guards create tension start asking them questions in a back room, they want confirmation that they are a real film crew, with one of the guards calling the supposed studio in Hollywood, and Chambers answers the phone at the last second. Also seeing the fake film sketches and storyboards the guards are convinced to let them all pass through the final gates and board the plane, and meanwhile the photos of the six secretly taken on hidden cameras are being passed to the military still in the American Embassy, they realise that the six missing diplomats in the shredded photographs are at the airport. The guards rush to stop the plane as the seven fake film crew members are on the taxi on the runway and then boarding the plane, the police cars do chase after the plane as it starts moving, but they fail to stop it taking off, and with the pilot announcement the escapees know they have made it out of Iran safely, and the remaining hostages in Tehran will be protected with suppressed US rescue involvement, full credit goes to the Canadian government and the ambassador. The Intelligence Star is awarded to Mendez, but he would not be able to keep the medal until 1997 when the classified mission details were finally released to the public, the rest of the hostages were freed on January 20th 1980, and a speech by former President Jimmy Carter concluded the crisis. Also starring Chris Messina as Malinov, Kyle Chandler as Hamilton Jordan, Adrienne Barbeau as Nina, Zeljko Ivanek as Robert Pender, Titus Welliver as Bates, Bob Gunton as Cyrus Vance, Michael Parks as Jack Kirby, Richard Kind as Max Klein and Philip Baker Hall as CIA Director Stansfield Turner. Affleck is both fantastic in the leading role and as director for this true adapted story, the supporting cast members, especially Goodman and Arkin are great as well, the story I thought may be complicated or too political, but actually there are some great ideas put in, many to make you laugh and lots to keep you gripped, the pacing is terrific, the script is witty but also funny, and the "best bad idea" storyline is fantastic, it really is an award worthy, fun and thought provoking comedy drama. It won the Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Editing and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, and it was nominated for Best Music for Alexandre Desplat, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, it won the BAFTA for Best Film and Editing, and it was nominated for Adapted Screenplay and Original Music, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and it was nominated for Best Original Score and Best Screenplay. Very good!