Argo (2012)

Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980.

Director:

Ben Affleck

Writers:

Chris Terrio (screenplay), Tony Mendez (based on a selection from "The Master of Disguise" by),

Stars:

Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman

Won 3 Oscars. Another 92 wins & 111 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Affleck	...	Tony Mendez
Bryan Cranston	...	Jack O'Donnell
Alan Arkin	...	Lester Siegel
John Goodman	...	John Chambers
Victor Garber	...	Ken Taylor
Tate Donovan	...	Bob Anders
Clea DuVall	...	Cora Lijek
Scoot McNairy	...	Joe Stafford
Rory Cochrane	...	Lee Schatz
Christopher Denham	...	Mark Lijek
Kerry Bishé	...	Kathy Stafford
Kyle Chandler	...	Hamilton Jordan
Chris Messina	...	Malinov
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Robert Pender
Titus Welliver	...	Bates

Storyline

In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. However, six managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devised a daring plan: create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez created the ruse and proceeded to Iran as its associate producer. However, time was running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House had grave doubts about the operation themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

iranian | iran | canadian | hostage | cia | 

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Taglines:

Based on the Declassified True Story

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Persian

Release Date:

12 October 2012 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Арго

Filming Locations:

McLean, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$44,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$19,458,109 (USA) (12 October 2012)

Gross:

$136,019,448 (USA) (19 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., GK Films, Smokehouse Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 130 min (Extended Version)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

With John Goodman's performance as John Chambers, this is the only time that a real-life Oscar winner is portrayed in a film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

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Goofs

It is indicated as being 1980 when Istanbul is viewed, but the ferry shown is a new modern ferry that travels between the Asian and European sides of the Bosphorus.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sahar: [narration] This is the Persian Empire known today as Iran. For 2,500 years, this land was ruled by a series of kings, known as shahs. In 1950, the people of Iran elected Mohammad Mossadeqh, a secular democrat, as Prime Minister. He nationalized British and U.S. petroleum holdings, returning Iran's oil to it's people. But in 1953, the U.S. and Great Britain engineered a coup d'etat that deposed Mossadeqh and installed Reza Pahlavi as shah. The young Shah was known for opulence and ...

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Crazy Credits

Past the photos of cast members and the real people they play, there's audio from an interview with then-President Jimmy Carter talking about the crisis.

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Connections

Referenced in Chelsea Lately: Episode #6.163 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Abwoon Call to Prayer
Written and Performed by 'Jahanara Laura Mangus'

User Reviews

No complaints

Ben Affleck directs and stars in the newest political thriller, "Argo". It is filled with A-list actors such as Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, and Bryan Cranston who each contribute to this incredibly moving film, which is based on a declassified true story.

It takes place during the Iranian revolution of 1979 and 1980 in Tehran. More than sixty Americans from the US embassy were held as hostages, but six of them escaped and were hiding out in the home of the Canadian ambassador (Garber). Tony Mendez (Affleck), a CIA extraction specialist, came along to concoct a plan to rescue these six Americans.

After speaking to his son while watching a movie one night, Mendez had a creative yet genius idea. He and the escaped hostages would pretend to be the film crew of a new sci-fi movie called "Argo". With the help of Hollywood makeup artist John Chambers (Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Arkin), this fake crew made their story quite credible.

Ben Affleck did a spectacular job directing this film, which pretty faithfully follows such an unbelievable story. Every actor is convincing as his/her character and the cast was impeccably chosen. Make sure you stay in the theater to watch the credits. You'll see some real photographs and clips that mirror Affleck's film and actors.

"Argo" is basically only rated R for language, making it appropriate for most teens, in my opinion. I definitely recommend this film to everyone, whether you're an adult who remembers watching this on TV or you're a kid who doesn't know anything about politics. It is extremely dramatic, exciting, and heart wrenching, but also hilarious on many occasions. When the movie ends, the entire audience applauds and cheers. It's an amazing story that deserves to be heard.

I give "Argo" a 10 out of 10. I have no complaints.