Rent Argo (2012)

A very good movie, despite the fact it takes liberties with the truth - Argo review by Philip in Paradiso

This is a very well-made political thriller. In November 1979, Iranian activists storm the US Embassy in Tehran in retaliation for President Jimmy Carter’s giving the Shah asylum in the US during the Iranian Revolution. While c.55 of the embassy staff are taken hostage, 6 avoid capture by sheltering in the Canadian ambassador’s home. After 3 months, a CIA agent is sent over to organise their ‘ex-filtration'.

The facts are well-known and the script takes liberties with them, more particularly in a way that glorifies the CIA and the Americans (of course), while playing down the role of the Canadians, and misrepresenting the attitude of the British and NZ Embassies, which did offer to help and provide some assistance.

Having said this, it is a very good film, which re-creates the cauldron-like atmosphere in revolutionary Tehran very well, and is very good at creating a huge sense of tension and suspense. B Affleck is competent in the way he plays his part, although rather wooden and expressionless. Then again, I watched the interview with the real-life CIA agent (see bonus on the DVD) and he is even more devoid of any facial expressions than B Affleck is in the film!

Overall, I would say it is a very good film and would recommend it.

Best Picture Oscar in it's year for a reason. Argo is great. - Argo review by IanF

This is a must watch, a true story released from 'TOP SECRET' only recently. The tension is unbearable by the end, but the build up is often funny too. Do watch it!

Watch it, enjoy it, but beware the usual US triumphalism. - Argo review by MP

Being almost as egregiously misleading as U571 I have to say this was an entertaining and at times gripping film. The basic plot is unbelievable but essentially it happened. Only 80% of the idea was Canada's and the Kiwi and UK embassies didn't turn our allies away. The main US player in reality was a latin chap, who must have been very brave, so Affleck took that part. But it's a good , well acted, exciting, involving film but the deliberate historical distortions leave an unpleasant taste.

Worth watching - Argo review by CP Customer

Making a film about an event or period of trouble and suffering, while still making it pleasant to watch, is difficult. You have to simplify complex things, create empathy, we have to identify with the protagonist to care what happens. All of which this film does.

A brilliantly made espionage thriller, despite the significantly altered actual events - Argo review by Timmy B

Argo is a film which will be many different things to many different people. This is displayed in the other reviews which are on the Cinema Paradiso site, with some absolutely furious about the way this film wilfully & blatantly rewrites history in order to make it look like the Americans (along with the assistance of the Canadians,) basically saved the day, like so many other flag-waving American films. This anger was increased ten-fold when it won Best Picture at the Oscars, alongside other awards.

But for me, and many others, I look at it differently. I am first & foremost a film lover, who jumps head-first into the incredible worlds which are created by writers, directors & actors. And as much as I also dislike the flag-waving Americanism of these types of films, I am also able to, if the film is good, separate this from the actual movie I am watching. And this is the case for me with Argo. I would also point out that the historical inaccuracies have been so roundly reported & critiqued that there is an effective counterbalance to the events which are distorted by the film makers. For some, that still isn’t enough, but it is for me.

Argo tells the story of the Iranian revolution & hostage crisis, predominantly the deep-cover mission to exfiltrate 6 US Embassy workers who managed to escape the storming of the American consulate. Having found sanctuary & shelter at the Canadian Ambassadors house, they wait to be evacuated. Meanwhile in Washington DC, the various intelligence agencies frantically work out how to bring the Americans back home without starting WWIII. Tony Mendez, a CIA veteran who specialises in evacuations, comes up with a plan to go into Iran using the cover of a film production company who want to shoot a sci-fi movie in the country. The film looks at the creation of and actual evacuation of the 6, by Mendez.

The main thing which sticks with me, both when I first watched the movie over 10 years ago, and tonight when I rewatched it to write this review, is just how well-made this film is. Ben Affleck is an extremely competent & skilful director, who is able to strike the difficult balance in film making of creating a story with serious subject matter but also a lightness of touch. The film zips along at a brilliant pace, never once losing momentum. The smoke-filled offices of the CIA & FBI, where these types of films can often be dragged down with the conversations/back & fourth arguments between different heads of departments, are filled with tension and don’t go on for a second longer than they need to.

When it comes to Mendez himself, Affleck also makes him extremely relatable, as well as openly showing the grave doubts he has, alongside the massive responsibility he has taken on in getting the 6 hostages out. It is said to him in no uncertain terms that if his/their cover is blown, they should hope to be shot first, to spare them the torture which awaits them. In no way is Mendez the stereotypical cocksure hero these films usually have, which again is a refreshing change.

Affleck & the writers have also sensibly put a large amount of humour into this film. Bryan Cranston, John Goodman & Alan Arkin all have excellent barbs in this film, which again adds to the lightness of touch. Cranston, taking a break from being Walter White, clearly relishes the change of role, chewing up the scenery for all he’s worth, especially as the mission threatens to go awry.

I really enjoyed this film. I totally bought into the world which it created, was gripped by it and also loved its structure. Whilst I would never have called it a Best Picture winner, it is still a reminder of the power of good cinema to transport us to another world for 2 hours. For those who simply cannot countenance it's rewriting of history, I simply say: Your loss

Undoubtedly tense but unmemorable - Argo review by Tommy

This is a film i knew of but never watched. Never come across it on TV but decided to add to my list. I knew of the hype but unsure of the subject. Just not my thing, really, political films.

Without doubt it ticks the boxes of a good film and one that ticks the boxes of the Oscars. I can see why there was hype. However, i found it unmemorable. I kinda wanted it to finish, to see how it ends - i didn't know much about the real events other than a quick search on Wikipedia. It is very well made. The directing it great by Affleck, the actors are great too. The tension is there, the camera, score / music and editing is great, all coming together for a really good drama. There is dread and you fear and care somewhat for the characters. It did the job but i didn't think it did anything new or different. I felt like i had seen it before. I probably had, being Hollywood.

I am a Ben Affleck fan. "Gone baby Gone" is great, and i actually like "Live By Night" - a film i think would have been great with a tweak or two, similar with "Triple 9". With this film he does the right things but didn't give it something else, for me. Was it all him or the script i don't know, i haven't given it loads of thought but that's how i felt watching. I wanted more of a 'heist' in cleverly planning getting the people out, which is kinda what i thought it was. Hollywood marketing, i guess. This is certainly one if you're into political history, and in films.