ARGO is the most exciting motion picture I’ve seen this year…
That’s really quite remarkable considering the story’s outcome is now public record—hence there’s no reason to hide any spoilers.
In 1979, after the United States granted amnesty to the deposed Shah, Iranian revolutionary militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran while its staff scrambled to destroy sensitive files.
“If we shoot one person, they’ll kill everyone inside here.”
Six embassy staffers snuck out the back door and found shelter in the residence of the Canadian ambassador. The rest of the Americans were held hostage for 444 days—until the end of the Jimmy Carter presidency.
Enter C.I.A. hostage extractor Tony Mendez (played by Ben Affleck) who came up with the damndest rescue plan ever devised, pretending to be a Canadian movie production team doing location scouting for a sci-fi flick called ARGO, with a middle eastern setting—SPECIFICALLY TEHRAN!
He then somehow used the six Americans in hiding and disguised them as being part of the Canadian production team complete with phony names and passports.
“We’ve done suicide missions in the Army that had better odds than this.”
There obviously was a lot of behind the scenes assistance.
With the help of a major Hollywood studio, producers, makeup experts, fake production notices in trade papers and the Canadian government, they pulled it off.
“If it’s going to be a fake movie, it’s going to be a fake HIT!”
Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston and John Goodman all add to the cover in the best nailbiter at the movies in ages. It’ll have you on the edge of your seat. Especially during the film’s final 15 minutes of escape via Tehran airport.
“This is the best bad idea we’ve got.”
But hold on, this is a TRUE story which could not have been pulled off without the cooperation of the real Tony Mendez, the C.I.A. and the Canadian government.
Co-produced by George Clooney and expertly directed by Ben Affleck, VARIETY describes ARGO as being “white knuckle tense.”
And here’s something I hadn’t experienced; our screening audience broke into applause—TWICE!
ARGO, with reflecting comments on the top secret mission by President Carter at the film’s conclusion, is a must-see, Oscar-worthy movie experience that raises 4-1/2 out of 5, top-notch fingers.
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES: Friday mornings at 6:40 a.m. on KMBZ Am & FM. And anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND, Channel 411 / And throughout Nebraska on NEBRASKA ON DEMAND.
wow, how many stars five? Sounds like it, Ben has become a power in Hollywood bigtime with smaller budget big hits…like this and THE TOWN…nice…can’t wait to see this one…glad its a good one…Saw Taken Two, really not bad, if you liked the first one, this was only a shade below but fun…
wow, who is in the movie and what is it about?
The promo photo sure looks staged, as Mendez (Affleck) appears to be looking at the back side of some papers he’s holding in his left hand, which would be blank if the papers in his right hand are any indication at all. But this is Hollywood, right? Then again, maybe he’d discovered the invisible ink. The plot thickens.
He is actually re-reading the plot og Gigli.
Damn Jack, you’ve got me sucked into seeing this flick. We’re going Saturday night. Better be as good as you say or you’ll hear from me.
Right again Jackson. You were right on. This flick is great.