ARGO – Ben Affleck

It’s that time of year again. Time to stay warm, wish for Spring, and pass the time with a good movie or book. However, there’s something else that happen’s this time of year that is quite the event. I’m talking about … the Oscars! That one night out of the year when we spend hours watching the Academy take note of the films of the past year that deserve that golden statue that is called, Oscar.

I’ve watched this ceremony as far back as I can remember and to me it’s the “Super Bowl of Film Awards!”  Although I haven’t seen ALL the films nominated this year, I have seen a few. One of them being the film I’m about to review right now Argo.

There are many films throughout history that have been above and beyond top drawer quality. However, I find the “true story” films to be a bit more entertaining. In this “true story” film, Argo, is based on the 1979 hostage crisis in Tehran, Iran. On November 4, 1979, the United States Embassy in Iran was attacked and 50 hostages were taken. Six of those hostages hide and escaped. They went into hiding at the Canadian Ambassador’s home where they stayed until it was time to be rescued. However, back in the U.S., the White House, government officials, and other heads of authority tried to think of every option possible to go in and rescue the six survivors. Every option put on the table was shot down with complications attached. Except for one.

Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist (played by Ben Affleck), works for the governement who goes in and rescue’s people from difficult situations such as this. With the help from his supervisor Jack O’Donnell (played by Bryan Cranston), a top CIA Agent, they come up with a plan that is the “best worst idea they’ve had”. Tony get’s  the idea of going into Iran, pretending to be a film crew scouting “exotic” locations for a new SciFi film called Argo, a Star Wars type rip-off. Since this story takes place in the 1970′s and the mega-box office hit of ‘Star Wars’ at the time, it just goes to show that their plan just might work because demand for Scifi films was quite high at that time in Hollywood.

Jack O’Donnell calls upon a Hollywood friend and make-up artist, John Chandler (played by John Goodman), who works in the film industry and his friend and Producer Lester Siegel (played by Alan Arkin), decided to help this very tense situation. With a “fake” script, studio office, and casting – the government just backed a “fake movie” to rescue hostages. Ben supply’s the hostages with fake identities of a film crew and passport’s. However, when the moment comes for their escape, the government comes in at the last minute to solve the problem with “military action”, but Tony has put too much on the line to back out now. So, did they escape? Did the “worst bad idea” ever become a historic event? To find out I highly recommend Argo.

This film has already won so many awards already, it will not surprise me if it doeswin Best Picture at the Oscar’s this year. It has a stronge cast, a great story, and one of the most intense endings of any film I’ve seen this year. You will find yourself on  the edge of your seat. Based on the 2007 article “Canadian Caper” and with Seven Oscar Nomination’s, Ben Affleck has proven that he is Hollywood Royalty and that he knows how to make an amazing film. This is clearly one of the Best Films I’ve seen in a long time and a must-see. And now the winner of the Oscar for Best Picture … and well deserved.