Argo (2012)

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Argo (2012)

7/10

Starring

Ben Affleck

Bryan Cranston

Alan Arkin

John Goodman

Directed by Ben Affleck

Finally, I swallowed the biff I had towards Ben Affleck and I watched Argo and I do have to add, it is one movie that I really have to agree is worth its Academy Award for Best Picture. Based on a true life story about how Iran students stormed the American Embassy in Iran and took 52 hostage and 6 people escaped and hid in the Canadian Embassy.

So a Tony Mendez a CIA operative went to Iran on the guise of making a film. He went with fake passports and fake back stories for the 6, and had them play Producer, Director, Screen Writer and co for them to be able to escape Iran.

The movie is an adaptation of Tony Mendez’s book The Master of Disguise and Joshuah Bearman’s 2007 Wired article The Great Escape.

Now that we have all this background out of the way, back to the film. The most captivating thing about this movie is the screenplay, at every turn things seemed to be almost out of sync with the plan, but one way or the other things get back on track. It is those heart thumping moments that make the movie worth the time I spent watching it.

I kept imagining myself in the shoes of the 6, going through the Iranian streets pretending to be Canadians and there was a time when they almost got swallowed up in a riot, at that point your mind starts to race as to what is going to be the escape here? Then after they make it through there was another pending riot set to break away at a market like setting, with your mind also racing at the possible possibility of getting out of this mess.

All through the movie you are kept on your sit as this dramatic adaptation of what seemed like the biggest trick in the way back when, will have you feel sorry for the other 52 hostages who didn’t get the opportunity to get away.

One other reason I liked this movie is after watching it makes you want to do read. I had to go do some research and read up on what happened to the other 52 hostages, and when you are done reading about what happened to them, how they underwent mocked executions, torture and pain, you pray to God that you never witness such.

At the end of the movie, you know you just witnessed a great escape truly.

I don’t know if I’m truly looking forward to seeing Affleck mount the Batman mask, but whichever way it may turn, there is a Batman vs Superman showdown on the way, and Ben Affleck is now our new Batman.