Argo makes me want to slap Ben Affleck and yell, "Why the hell did you waste such talent on crap like Gigli and JLo?"
"Based on" a true story always offers more hope for a film than the 98% crap fabrication of "inspired by". Argo is based on the rescue of six American diplomats—in hiding after they evaded capture in the November 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran by Islamist militants.
Known as the "Canadian Caper", this joint covert operation between the Canadian Government and US CIA involved two CIA agents joining the six diplomats to pose as a fake film crew scouting to shoot a scene for a sci-fi film. (Yes, totally crazy idea—but the second best involved the six diplomats traversing mountainous terrain on a 300-mile bicycle trip to Turkey.) The charade and escape succeeded as they boarded a Swissair flight to Zurich in January 1980.
The screenplay, the entire cast, and Ben Affleck as director and actor offer the truth of documentary and the drama of an action thriller. Even though you may know the true story—you will be in physical suspension with white knuckles and the inability to exhale as you wait for the outcome to unfold.
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