Argo tells the story of how, in 1980, the CIA launched a rescue mission for six hostages hiding in the Canadian Ambassador’s house by posing as a film crew location scouting for a sci-fi film. If it weren’t based on a true story, it would be a ridiculous concept yet Affleck manages to achieve a beautiful blend of nerve-wracking action with well-rounded characters that manage to give the film that vital feeling of fun.
It reminded me of Oceans Eleven in the way that all these quirky characters managed to work together to achieve something that seemed impossible. Alan Arkin and John Goodman give hilarious performances as the cynical Hollywood experts who help Affleck establish a phony film studio and even organise a press party to celebrate the film getting green lit. Affleck manages to perfectly balance the tenseness of the hostages’ situation with the witty repartee of the Hollywood men and this is partly thanks to the faultless script by Chris Terrio.
The film shows the Iranian conflict with gritty realism, partly by using real footage and partly by shooting scenes as they were shot in newsreels at the time. I would urge people to stay watching through the credits to see all the shots that were purposefully recreated, including an eerie shot of a man being hung by a crane. Argo is a triumph in thrilling filmmaking, which succeeds in being one of the most enjoyable thrillers made in the last few years.
True. Simple plot to follow and altogether a very enjoyable film. It seems people can’t get enough of Bryan Cranston following his Breaking Bad success.