Mission success with ‘Argo’

Elizabeth Ramirez

Rescue missions are no easy task.

This is best reflected in Ben Affleck’s “Argo.” Based on a true story, the film depicts the rescue of six Americans during the Iranian Revolution.

The six Americans, who worked at the U.S embassy in Iran, found refuge in the Canadian ambassador’s home. To CIA extractor Antonio Mendez (Ben Affleck), it became his job to bring them back to American soil.

CIA agents began creating the oddest ideas to liberate the Americans including having the six bike their way through Iran to eventually arrive at Turkey. However, none compare to Mendez’s idea to create a fake film and giving each of the six Americans a fake role to play. His idea was rejected at first, but once the right script was found, Argo, everyone was won over.

The process to find a film producer was comical to watch. Mendez found his old friend John Chambers (John Goodman), a makeup artist, to help, and in return Chambers found Hollywood producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin). The dynamic Siegel and Chambers brought to the film was outstanding. Among the chaos in Iran and the CIA in the U.S, the sarcasm and jokes by Chambers and Siegel lighten the mood of the film. Even creating the sentence, “Argo, go f— yourself” as a way to say good-bye.

Once Mendez assembled the film team, all that was left was getting the six Americans back to America. This is when the suspense builds up and makes you clench your hands into the theater seat.

Ben Affleck’s character did play a cool CIA officer by lighting a cigarette and drinking some hard liquor when things went wrong, but his character did not develop. He didn’t show much action other than traveling to Iran. The same can be said about Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), the Canadian ambassador, who seemed to just be on the background with a few lines here and there.

One of the six Americans rescued, Joe Stafford’s (Scoot McNairy) was a character who developed incredibly during the film. He began as an individual who mistrusted Mendez to someone with initiative to leave Iran.

Another great aspect of the film was the use of real footage from the Iranian Revolution. It resembled that of Emilio Estevez’s “Bobby.” It created a great effect to the film overall.

The film explains the Iranian Revolution with small but grave detail, making the conflict easy to follow. You see the bad conditions many Iranians were in as well as their anger towards their government. But it also shows the creativity individuals have in order to rescue others.

If you are into films based on true events, especially coming from world conflicts, this film is worth watching on the big screen. It will make you feel proud of the work the CIA and Mendez did to bring home six Americans.