"This is the best bad plan we have...by far, sir."

Rating: 9/10 (2 March 2013)

November 4th 1979, Iranians violently stormed the American Embassy and seized hostages for 444 days. It was an intense and frightening era in modern history; this film chronicles the daring operation to rescue six of the hostages after they fled the besieged embassy.
I'm not at all familiar with the Iranian Hostage Crisis, so I have no idea how much of Argo is fiction and how much of it is fact (reading up on it, I see that the film is criticized for over-emphasizing the role of the CIA, and for presenting more peril than what really happened). Regardless, the film made the events feel very real. The film does it best to replicate the era, the settings, and the danger to immerse the viewers into the situation and make them feel the suspense. I certainly felt the suspense, as the characters ran up against all manner of political, diplomatic, and cultural barriers in a frantic race to escape a treacherous and unstable country. The film definitely kept my attention and had me at the edge of my seat.
The story is well-told, presenting its ideas and sequence of events on a manner that's both logical and sensical. Even though there is a lot of political intrigue involved, the film never loses its audience with jargon or politics. It also looks and feels very realistic; despite some thrilling scenes, the events appear plausible and the various interactions between people and governments appear authentic. Characters have just enough depth and emotion to make audiences care for them, and once again, come off as seeming authentic.
Even the film itself feels authentic, featuring some rough and gritty-looking camera work and editing. The camera is steady and solid, as is the editing, but it looks like a film that could have been made in the 70s, due to the way it's composed and put together. Same goes for its production design, which goes to great lengths to replicate genuine-looking sets, props, and costumes. Acting is decent: Ben Affleck is surprisingly strong in his role, Bryan Cranston is a fun to watch as ever, and everybody else fulfills their parts admirably. Writing is great. Music isn't bad either.
Argo might just stand as a new favorite among political thriller movies; it's certainly one of the most real-looking and historically interesting films I've seen in the genre. Above all, it's intense enough to maintain interest. Recommended! 4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)