Just a few weeks ago, my mind was blown away. I went to Movi-Etown and experienced one of the greatest historical films that I have ever seen.
“Argo” was a captivating and completely realistic film. Released in theatres Oct. 12, the movie is the historical account of Tony Mendez, former Central Intelligence Agent, of the declassified 1979 rescue of the six American hostages in the Tehran, Iran hostage crisis. Directed by Ben Affleck, the movie was awarded an 8.5 out of 10 rating by critics.
The plot of the movie takes place on Nov. 4, 1979 in Tehran, Iran. Iranian revolutionaries rise up and storm the U.S. embassy when the United States expresses support of the recently-deceased Shah. Within this storming of the Embassy, U.S. staff members are taken hostage while six manage to escape and seek refuge with the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor. The escape is kept secret from the press in an attempt to keep hidden the escapees from Iranian knowledge and possible persecution. The U.S. State Department begins brainstorming ways to rescue the six hostages with the limited leaked knowledge they have discovered. In the process of trying to plan a sure-fire way to liberate the U.S. citizens, CIA specialist Tony Mendez points out the weaknesses of each plan but cannot figure out an alternative way to release the hostages.
While watching the “Battle for the Planet of the Apes” with his son, Mendez hatches the plan for a movie shoot cover-up as a way to rescue the hostages. He plans to have them pose as Canadian filmmakers scouting locations in Iran for a sci-fi film. Mendez starts to bring his plan to life by collaborating his idea with supervisor Jack O’Donnell, Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers and filmmaker Lester Siegel. Together, Siegel and Chambers create “Studio Six Productions” and give purpose to the science fantasy script, “Argo.” To make the production of the film more realistic, the three devise different media tactics to put “Argo” out as an actual movie, ranging from press releases to casting calls and public script readings.
While the U.S. starts to make a small buzz on the “upcoming film,” situations are becoming more and more hostile in Iran. The hostages are becoming increasingly panicked about the constant public executions that are taking place on the streets. One execution is witnessed by Taylor’s Iranian housekeeper, which brings the housekeeper under suspicion. The revolutionary group learns there is staff unaccounted for and missing from the grand staff list. They start utilizing child labor workers to piece back the shredded documents from the Embassy to gain knowledge on the appearance of the missing staff members.
Mendez enters Iran under a fake Canadian passport, reaches Taylor’s house, and immediately starts to train the hostages in becoming their “Canadian filmmaking” veneers with “Argo.” Although the hostages are ultimately untrusting of Mendez and his plan, they choose to trust him, as it’s their best, and only, way to escape. Refraining from any spoiler alerts, the film keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat (especially toward the end).
Critics gave rave reviews of the film but seemed to have found only one main point to underline. The role that the Canadian Embassy played in the protection and rescue of the hostages was huge; it seemed as though the movie downplayed Canada’s role in the rescue in attempts to keep the storyline focused on the U.S. effort to bring back the citizens.
Ultimately, I would recommend the film to anyone who enjoys action, suspense and history. The likeness of the actual hostages to their modern-day actorsis incredible. The attention to detail was absolutely amazing and meticulous. The main message of “No one is left behind” was extremely prevalent and hit home directly toward the end of film. So, if you find yourself looking for something to do, I suggest checking out “Argo,” a breath of reality in cinematic format.