Sometimes the bad ideas do really work.....

Rating: 10/10 (16 November 2012)

This is by far one of the most impressive movies of 2012. There was a lot of attention to detail, right down to the opening frame, where you'll see the Warners Bros logo circa 1970's, befitting the era which the movie was set.
Let's start with the basics. Argo is set in Iran during the tumultuous year 1979, a time when the US embassy in Tehran was stormed and seized by a mob of lunatic Iranian yobs. By sheer fate (of being in a separate part of the embassy), 6 American staff members managed to sneak out and became refugees in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Enter Tony Mendez (played brilliantly by Ben Affleck) of the CIA, whose job description includes 'extracting' Americans out of hazardous environment.
The first half of the film devotes to building the premise of this ridiculously far-fetched idea of using a science fiction movie as the narrative of the entire escape plan. With dwindling options available and a rapidly deteriorating situation, the US government had no choice but to go along with this, thus proving once again that sometimes, the bad ideas do really work.
The second half quickens the pace when Mendez meets the 6 Americans for the first time and has to do a quick job of trying to convince them of the plan, and getting them to act and play their role as part of a film crew. Although Mendez's plan was stopped by the authorities, he proceeds anyway. The tension really hits the roof at the airport when this desperate group are but steps away from freedom. The editing work was very well done, and you'll feel your stomach going to knots. It's only when the plane announced they were safely on their way to Zurich that you can finally let go. I would imagine that was how the 6 Americans felt at that time.
Overall, this was an extremely satisfying movie. The look and feel of the movie felt authentic, right down to the deliberate decision to make the entire movie grainy and 70s. I would be extremely disappointed if Argo did not get a mention in the Academy Awards.