“Argo” is an attention grabber. It keeps you engaged in the story from beginning to end. . It’s a movie depicting the Iranian crises that took place in 1980. The Shah of Iran was deposed by the Ayatollah Khomeini, an Islamic extremist. The Shah was accepted in America.
The Iranians were so angry, that they took over the American embassy and took hostages. Six Americans managed to escape the embassy and went to the home of the Canadian ambassador. They successfully hid out there for several months.
The CIA knew it was only a matter of time before the Iranians at the embassy would figure out that the six were missing. The movie is based on an actual incident.
Affleck portrays a CIA agent, Tony Mendez, who has to think up a way to spring the six Americans. He decides the way to rescue the Americans is to pretend they are all making a movie together. Affleck plays the agent to perfection. He knows how to do his job. Affleck
Ben Affleck speaking at a rally for Feed America in 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
also directed this movie!
If you’re a baby boomer, and remember this time, the movie will bring the whole hostage crises back to life. There are clips of Walter Cronkite and Ted Koppel Suddenly you remember how upset we were when our hostages were taken by the Iranians. It took 444 days to get them home. Luckily, nobody was physically harmed. Who knows what emotional consequences they suffered?
Standout actors are John Goodman and Alan Arkin who portray the Hollywood types who aid Affleck in his endeavor.
Today, on CNN, President Carter said that the movie “didn’t give the Canadians enough credit.”
Go see it! And Ben Affleck , you should have been nominated in the best director category at the Oscars. I hope the movie wins Best Picture. That would be sweet.
What do you think?
Related articles
- Carter: ‘Argo’ great but inaccurate (politico.com)
- Canada’s former ambassador in Iran says he feels slighted by Ben Affleck’s CIA thriller “Argo” (timescolonist.com)
- Tony Mendez, the real CIA spy in Argo (updatednews.ca)
My Life in my 60's 
This was a good review. I actually had no idea what it was about before reading this. I do remember the hostage taking and the day we heard on CBC that the hostages were rescued. It was glorius! Could you just imagine 444 days of never knowing if this was going to be the day you died?
Parts of the movie made me sick!