Conquering this year’s Academy Awards was Ben Affleck’s directorial masterpiece Argo. Based on the true, relatively unknown story of Tony Mendez, whose ludicrous plan to save six American citizens from a life threatening situation in Iran was only recently declassified by CIA officials allowing Mendez to finally tell his remarkable story.
In 1980, the American embassy in Iran was stormed by Iranian
protesters and activists, while many US citizens were captured and held hostage
in the embassy, six of them escaped and sought refuge in the home of Canadian
ambassador Ken Taylor. Upon hearing of this crisis and the news of six escapees
who will be hunted down by Iranians and killed, CIA agent Tony Mendez (played
by Ben Affleck) devises a plan to get them back to the USA safely. However,
Iranians everywhere are aware of these six people and there would be no way
they could just walk onto a plane to fly home, Mendez had to think of something
smarter to get the American’s back without being seen…
He comes up with the ingenious and crazy idea of staging a
science fiction film shoot which involves sending six Canadians to Iran to
scout for locations. Under this ruse, Tony Mendez should be able to sneak the
Americans out as Canadians, but there are plenty of armed guards and officials
at airport security who are keeping a watchful eye out for the American’s that
escaped from the embassy. With the
prospect of a brutal execution if they are found out, you will find yourself
gripping your seat during the final airport scene, but will they make it?
With John Goodman , Alan Arkin and Brian Cranston in
supporting roles, offering moments of comic relief and Ben Affleck in the
leading role and at the director’s helm it is really no wonder Argo was one the of best films of 2012
and won countless awards all ove the world.
Why not borrow it for the half term week?
Further Reading in the Information Store:
Argo – DVD ZONE –
791.43 A
Iran – BOOK ZONE –
915.60
Iran and the Bomb – BOOK
ZONE – 327.1
