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 1979.
The story of King George VI, his impromptu ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director:
Tom Hooper
Stars:
Colin Firth,
Geoffrey Rush,
Helena Bonham Carter
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Director:
Kathryn Bigelow
Stars:
Jeremy Renner,
Anthony Mackie,
Brian Geraghty
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
Director:
Tom McCarthy
Stars:
Mark Ruffalo,
Michael Keaton,
Rachel McAdams
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.
Director:
Jean-Marc Vallée
Stars:
Matthew McConaughey,
Jennifer Garner,
Jared Leto
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.Written by
Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
In keeping with the period in which the film is set (around 1979), Warner Brothers used their "Big W" logo, which was utilized on their releases around that time, and painted the Burbank Studios logo onto their water tower. It was the name of the building from 1972 until 1990, when Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures were sharing the same facilities. See more »
Goofs
After the script reading, when Tony Mendez, Lester Siegel and John Chambers make a toast, the camera angle changes while Lester drinks and there is more liquor in his glass in the second shot than in the first. See more »
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 ...
See more »
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. See more »
Alternate Versions
After it screened at the Toronto International Film Festival the postscript at the end credits was changed because it was felt that it slighted the Canada's involvement in the rescue of the American hostages. See more »
The movie's title is the title of the script for a "proposed" film that Agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) suggests as a cover for a rescue mission concerning six Americans held as guests with some Canadian representatives in Iran in order to avoid capture by the Iranian terrorists during the hostage crises of 1979-80. It's presented like a real '70s film in a documentary-like style that takes its time in getting to the climax. Certainly having such worthy support from John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Bryan Cranston contributes immensely to the compelling drama of the situation and Affleck's direction doesn't seem false in presenting the way things happened during that tense time though I'm sure some liberties were taken. So on that note, Argo is recommended as a historical docudrama. P.S. Loved seeing many of the vintage news footage including one from ABC saying a late night rerun of "The Love Boat" will be delayed for 15 minutes for Ted Koppel's report on the latest Iranian development. That would eventually become "Nightline". Oh, and this was the second time I watched a movie with the '70s version of the Warner Bros. logo presented this year. The first time was on Magic Mike.
8 of 13 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
The movie's title is the title of the script for a "proposed" film that Agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) suggests as a cover for a rescue mission concerning six Americans held as guests with some Canadian representatives in Iran in order to avoid capture by the Iranian terrorists during the hostage crises of 1979-80. It's presented like a real '70s film in a documentary-like style that takes its time in getting to the climax. Certainly having such worthy support from John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Bryan Cranston contributes immensely to the compelling drama of the situation and Affleck's direction doesn't seem false in presenting the way things happened during that tense time though I'm sure some liberties were taken. So on that note, Argo is recommended as a historical docudrama. P.S. Loved seeing many of the vintage news footage including one from ABC saying a late night rerun of "The Love Boat" will be delayed for 15 minutes for Ted Koppel's report on the latest Iranian development. That would eventually become "Nightline". Oh, and this was the second time I watched a movie with the '70s version of the Warner Bros. logo presented this year. The first time was on Magic Mike.