I've never left a movie feeling like I needed to smoke a thick joint just to unwind me from the fetal position. I felt like smoking 10 of those after watching Argo.
Argo tells the story of 6 Americans who escaped from the American Embassy during the Iranian hostage crisis and hid in the Canadian Embassy. Tony Mendez, Ben Affleck, comes up with a unique plan to sneak the hostages out of Iran and past the revolutionary guards; pretend they're a film crew location scouting for a movie.
The lie is brilliant. Who else but Americans would try and location scout for a movie during one of the most tense international standoffs? Who else but Americans from Hollywood? It's so cheeky and absurd you'd think it only belonged in the movies if it hadn't really happened. Tony Mendez actually got these 6 Americans out of Iran with this exact lie.
Argo opens with a cartoon illustration of some very needed context of the history of Iran, including the not so innocent role the United States plays in all of it. Now that the viewers are up to speed and can understand the gravity of the situation, we see the American Embassy and thousands of Iranians protesting outside the gates. Tense doesn't begin to describe it. There's panic and chaos. The embassy workers race to destroy visa plates and confidential documents. Six officers go rogue and escape using a side entrance while the rest hold out a desperate hope that the Iranian government will step in. It's to to avail. Soon the protesters have breached the gates and stormed the building. Just when you think you're going to implode from the tension, the film takes a soft turn and introduces the film's American characters.
Director Affleck adds to the visceral and terrifying mood of the film by manipulating some of his modern day film to make it look like a grainy 1970's home movie. This allows for real archival footage to mesh seamlessly with the film. It looks so convincing that it's almost hard to tell what's real news footage and what isn't. The blend of unaltered film, grainy film, and archival footage makes the film a much more authentic and tense experience. While it may be a movie, Affleck is making sure you never forget that this actually happened.
I could safely assume that Argo is a strong contender for Academy recognition, especially in the best picture category. The Academy loves a true story, and what would appeal more to voters than a story about Hollywood saving six valiant Americans? The rode the positive momentum it received from Toronto straight into opening weekend and has garnered praise ever since. It seems a shoe-in for a nomination and definitely a strong contender for the Oscar.
So if you haven't seen Argo yet, you should. Be prepared for a tense, gripping, palm sweating experience. Terrifying one minute and dry and witty the next, you'll relish every moment of the film about a film.
