Argo is a film inspired by actual, declassified events surrounding the 1979 Iran hostage crisis that manages to be frightening, sobering, inspiring, hilarious, thrilling, and hugely entertaining overall. It’s one hell of a good movie, which makes the Academy’s failure to recognize Ben Affleck with a nomination for Best Director even more astounding. He would have easily won the award. This is one of those instances where the Director’s Branch screwed up in such an obvious way. I’ve seen Argo several times now, and I marvel at his work, from the opening scenes that feel like authentic footage from the late 1970s to the expert pacing of the plot to its nail-biting, exhilarating conclusion. Affleck delivers the goods. Quite plainly, the ball was dropped, and this oversight lands on the short list of Oscar’s biggest blunders.
Affleck also stars in the film, giving an understated and impressive performance as Tony Mendez, a CIA “exfiltration” expert brought in to help rescue six US embassy workers who escaped from their building after Iranian insurgents broke in and took 66 staff members hostage.
To get them out of Iran and safely back to the United States, Mendez concocts a scheme so far-fetched it couldn’t possibly be an undercover mission—which is exactly the point. While watching Battle for the Planet of the Apes on TV with his son, he gets the idea to “hide them in plain sight” by creating a cover for these six embassy workers: they will pose as a Canadian film crew roaming about the Middle East, scouting locations for an upcoming sci-fi movie. I love the situational humor of “movie folks” being tone-deaf to the political climate in Iran. They’re so into themselves they don’t seem to realize there’s a war going on. Truth in fiction. To keep this project “legit,” Mendez reaches out to a man named John Chambers (John Goodman), an honorary Oscar-winner for his makeup designs on the first Planet of the Apes movie who also works for the CIA on occasion. After Chambers puts Mendez in touch with producer Lester Siegel (Oscar-nominee Alan Arkin), they set up a bogus film company. This is the laser-filled era following the release of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, so everyone wants in on the profitable genre. They go so far as to publicize a public table-reading with costumed actors (including Adrienne Barbeau) at a prominent hotel in Hollywood, so it makes the trade papers, which can be used as evidence to verify their backstory.
The film they’re making is called Argo, and when pressed to answer the question of what the title means, producer Siegel quips, “It means argo f*ck yourself.”
Meanwhile, the six escapees await their fate, hiding out in the home of Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), the Canadian ambassador to Iran. When Mendez shows up undercover and explains the plan in detail, he is met with open skepticism, outrage, and fear. He has a hard time convincing everyone it will work but makes it clear there are no other options available.
Argo pays off in a big way, with a compelling and thrilling conclusion—but it’s about as historically accurate as the Von Trapps hiking over the Alps to escape from the Nazis in The Sound of Music. Did they get away? Yeah, but not with the intense theatricality depicted on screen. I’m okay with that; I’m okay with “inspired by.” These movies aren’t documentaries. Having Maria and her family board an Austrian train that leaves on schedule and without incident just wouldn’t be the same. Having the escapees in Argo fly out of Iran without a hitch wouldn’t pack the same punch either. As a movie, Argo‘s third act is electrifying. Even knowing the outcome, it’s an edge-of-your-seat experience. With terrific performances, lean dialogue, focused direction, and expert camerawork, editing, and all aspects of design, Argo is a most worthy choice for Best Picture of the year.
Argo
Director | Ben Affleck |
Primary Cast | Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Bob Gunton, Richard Kind, Michael Parks, Adrienne Barbeau (cameo) |
Familiar Faces | Ben Affleck from Shakespeare in Love, John Goodman from The Artist, Victor Garber from Titanic |
Firsts | None to speak of |
Total Wins | 3 (Picture, Screenplay: Adapted, Editing) |
Total Nominations | 7 (Picture, Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Screenplay: Adapted, Editing, Sound: Mixing, Sound: Editing, Score) |
Viewing Format | Blu-ray Disc |