Suspense with a 70's feel

Rating: 7/10 (23 November 2012)

Argo is directed by Ben Affleck. The movie is based on the story of six American diplomats who escaped the American embassy in Tehran at the time of the hostage crisis in 1979/1980 and hid out in (among other places) the home of the Canadian ambassador to Iran. Affleck is cast as the CIA agent who is tasked with getting the six diplomats out of Iran.
The movie breathes the 70's in clothes, facial hair, settings, etc. If you had come across it on the television, you would believe you were watching a rerun of Airport. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time, especially during the second half, when the exfiltration operation is under way. It has a solid script and the acting is good. (Look for a lot of familiar faces in support roles.)
Still, Argo didn't blow me away like the other movies that Affleck wrote and/or directed did. That might simply be because I am not a huge fan of the based-on-a-true-story-genre. Because, in truth, there is very little wrong with this picture.