Watchable thriller that wants to say something

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2013)

Apparently it is historically inaccurate - typical Hollywood then. But it tries to pin blame on US interventions and subventions into other countries' affairs - George Clooney's agenda, which does not get a lot of airing in Hollywood! So give him some credit as Producer for getting it made. He has tried before, but not so commercially successful, thus he has upped the US ra-ra to get people to see it. Unfortunately this has dismissed the Canadians to mere bit players - and they were the ones in Teheran at risk!!!!!! As to the film itself, it works as a satire on Hollywood following trends for success rather than looking for new ideas - late 70s 'Star Wars' rip offs, 2013 Comic Book superheroes! And these sections are very funny. The scenes in Teheran are tense and do work - we do not need everyone doing Princess Di emotional hysterics to show they are feeling!!!!!! The actors trying to look under pressure but keeping the lid on things which seems pretty realistic to me. The direction is pacy, quick cuts etc which works most of the time, but is overdone at the end. The script and the fact that there is a lot of talking is what makes the film work - it is a 1970s style movie and why it succeeds with an older audience. Sit back and immerse yourself, but it will always suffer from historical inaccuracy and bias - we Brits have suffered this for decades from Hollywood! After all who usually plays the villain in US movies?!