Argo (2012)

Based on an actual incident during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis when Islamic militants invaded the U.S. Embassy and took 52 American hostages. But unbeknownst to them, six Americans escaped and took sanctuary at the Canadian embassy. This film is about a daring plan by the CIA to rescue those six and get them out of the country. With his third feature film, actor/director Ben Affleck has fulfilled the promise shown with GONE BABY GONE and THE TOWN. As accomplished a political thriller as anything by Costa-Gavras or Alan Pakula, ARGO is a tight, fascinating political thriller balanced with a satirically comic eye at Hollywood film making. As a director, Affleck (who plays CIA operative Tony Mendez) uses his artistic license to intensify the film's third act by compacting time and embellishing the escape sequence yet still staying truthful to the core facts of the story. He's aided by a taut script by Chris Terrio, the razor editing of William Goldenberg, the precise underscore of Alexandre Desplat and a massive but perfect cast including John Goodman as Oscar winning make up artist John Chambers, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Clea DuVall, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Adrienne Barbeau and Richard Kind.