Argo (2013), a historical drama thriller directed by Ben Affleck, tells the true story of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran,Iran, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Argo has received widespread praise, winning Best Picture and Best Director at the Golden Globes as well as awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards. The film stars Ben Affleck as Mendez, the rescuer of the U.S. hostages, as well as actors Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman.
Argo is based off of true events that occurred in Tehran, Iran during the militant storming of the United States embassy in 1979, 50 members of the embassy staff are taken hostage. Of the 50, 6 staff members escape and take refuge in the Canadian embassy. When word of the recent events reaches America, the CIA hires Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), an exfiltration specialist, to develop a speedy evacuation plan to rescue the hostages before the Iranians militants discover the missing 6. Mendez proposes that they create a cover story, pretending that the U.S. hostages are Canadian filmmakers looking for popular sights in Iran for a science-fiction film called Argo. With the help of John Chambers (John Goodman), a Hollywood make-up artist who has created disguises for the CIA before, and Lester Siegal (Alan Arkin), a film producer, Mendez successfully creates a realistic cover for the phony film. Mendez flies to Tehran, Iran where he provides the 6 hostages with Canadian passports and fake identities. But just as things start to look up, Mendez receives a phone call that changes everything, leaving the audience hanging at the edge of their seats in nervous anticipation for the result of Mendez’s mission and the fate of the U.S. hostages.
The type of movie that is important to listen to, Argo involves a lot of dialogue and character interaction that creates a very realistic feel for the audience. One might feel as if they are standing next to Mendez in CIA headquarters, arguing for the approval of the creation of a fake film. The actors in the film do a wonderful job selling their characters’ roles, making them both realistic and compelling. From the stressful situations and frightening moments to the sarcastic comedic moments of the film, the audience should feel every emotion attached to the characters. The good representation of character roles and portrayal of diction allows the audience to be fully involved in the plot and are able to easily follow the plot line.
Set design and costuming, as well as editing were also good elements of the film that assisted in making Argo, flow smoothly from scene to scene. The set design and costuming were authentic to the late 70’s, with details in every scene, outfit, and hairstyle. The authenticity of the scenes made the film feel even more like a true story, which it is based off of. An interesting use of film technique and editing occurs in the beginning of the film with the storming of the U.S. embassy. The set was designed using actual videos saved from the 1979 storming, and was recreated to look almost identical to the real thing. During the film, the scene would cut from the recreated set to the original filming of the event, making the film seem very real and quite believable.
I would definitely recommend Argo for any viewer interested in a film with good acting, good screen play, and a good plot. The film was well directed and deserves every one of the many awards it has won. An interesting plot with capable actors allows Argo to excel in all aspects of film creation.
Argo is based off of true events that occurred in Tehran, Iran during the militant storming of the United States embassy in 1979, 50 members of the embassy staff are taken hostage. Of the 50, 6 staff members escape and take refuge in the Canadian embassy. When word of the recent events reaches America, the CIA hires Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), an exfiltration specialist, to develop a speedy evacuation plan to rescue the hostages before the Iranians militants discover the missing 6. Mendez proposes that they create a cover story, pretending that the U.S. hostages are Canadian filmmakers looking for popular sights in Iran for a science-fiction film called Argo. With the help of John Chambers (John Goodman), a Hollywood make-up artist who has created disguises for the CIA before, and Lester Siegal (Alan Arkin), a film producer, Mendez successfully creates a realistic cover for the phony film. Mendez flies to Tehran, Iran where he provides the 6 hostages with Canadian passports and fake identities. But just as things start to look up, Mendez receives a phone call that changes everything, leaving the audience hanging at the edge of their seats in nervous anticipation for the result of Mendez’s mission and the fate of the U.S. hostages.
The type of movie that is important to listen to, Argo involves a lot of dialogue and character interaction that creates a very realistic feel for the audience. One might feel as if they are standing next to Mendez in CIA headquarters, arguing for the approval of the creation of a fake film. The actors in the film do a wonderful job selling their characters’ roles, making them both realistic and compelling. From the stressful situations and frightening moments to the sarcastic comedic moments of the film, the audience should feel every emotion attached to the characters. The good representation of character roles and portrayal of diction allows the audience to be fully involved in the plot and are able to easily follow the plot line.
Set design and costuming, as well as editing were also good elements of the film that assisted in making Argo, flow smoothly from scene to scene. The set design and costuming were authentic to the late 70’s, with details in every scene, outfit, and hairstyle. The authenticity of the scenes made the film feel even more like a true story, which it is based off of. An interesting use of film technique and editing occurs in the beginning of the film with the storming of the U.S. embassy. The set was designed using actual videos saved from the 1979 storming, and was recreated to look almost identical to the real thing. During the film, the scene would cut from the recreated set to the original filming of the event, making the film seem very real and quite believable.
I would definitely recommend Argo for any viewer interested in a film with good acting, good screen play, and a good plot. The film was well directed and deserves every one of the many awards it has won. An interesting plot with capable actors allows Argo to excel in all aspects of film creation.