ARGO: ALMOST FORGOTTEN

For those of us alive when the hostage crisis took place in the seventies we've not forgotten what tensions in the Middle East were like at that time. We had a president who showed a weak America and that was played upon by terrorists who had captured and held captive American hostages for 444 days in 1979 through 1981. Most born since those dates have little or no idea that it happened. It's become a forgotten page in history. Not so any longer.

ARGO tells the story not of those particular hostages but of 6 Americans who escaped from the Embassy before it was taken. Hidden in the home of the Canadian ambassador, a team of CIA operatives worked on plans to help them escape. With streets to overflowing with hostile protestors and terrorists the straight and easy methods were out. There was little that could be done and no plan seemed fool proof. But one might do the trick.

Ben Affleck (who also directed) stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who has planned escapes before. A chance look at a trade magazine and a plot forms in his head: pretend that a Hollywood production company is making a science fiction movie and take the 6 people out as members of the crew scouting locations. All it takes is finding a way to make it appear they came into the country so they can be taken out. With nothing but bad ideas on how to rescue these 6 people, this becomes the best worst idea.

Mendez sets about by recruiting a friend in John Chambers (John Goodman), the special effects man responsible for the make up in PLANET OF THE APES. He in turn helps Mendez connect with Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), a producer of note in the past who agrees to help them set up a fake production company and to find the right script. Everything has to appear on the up and up to convince the Iranian government. A script is found, an office opened, ads posted in the trade magazines and a party with a reading of the movie is even held all to make it seem legit.

Backgrounds for each of the "crew" members are formed and set up for Mendez to provide each of the 6 still in Iran. They will have to know their cover stories to the letter if the plan is to work. Once Mendez gets the okay and lands in country, this becomes a point of contention among the 6. While their options are non-existent, a few have a problem coming to terms with this plan. Mendez assures them he will get them out.

The majority of the film involves the set up of the escape of the 6. The planning, the bureaucracy and the involvement of so many people with so many possibilities of the plan failing are covered. What is amazing is that these details are spun here in such a way as to never be boring or seem like the film lasts too long, unlike ZERO DARK THIRTY. Instead, Affleck has the pacing of the film done to perfection.

The last portion of the film involves the group as they finally leave the ambassador's home and head for the airport. Affleck again does a magnificent job as the tension mounts from minute to minute. Whether you know the results of this mission or not you soon find your palms sweating and heart racing as you wait to see if they escape or not.

ARGO was nominated for and won the Best Picture Oscar this past year. For once I have to agree with a win in that category. This is truly a movie worth watching more than once. The only sad note is that Affleck was overlooked when it came to direction. That award went to Ang Lee for LIFE OF PI. While I enjoyed that movie as well, I think perhaps Affleck should have edged out Lee. Perhaps one day Hollywood will recognize his talents behind the camera as well as in front.

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