Released in cinemas in November 2012, Argo is a spy thriller directed and starring Ben Affleck, with a screenplay written by Chris Terrio. The film, which won theOscar for Best Picture in 2013, is based on a daring CIA exfiltration operation at the height of the 1979 Iranian revolution. With a cast including Bryan Cranston, John Goodman and Affleck himself in the lead role, Argo combines intense suspense with real-life historical events, creating a captivating mix of drama and political tension. The film's arrival on Prime Video on October 1, 2024 is the perfect opportunity to (re)discover this must-see work.
On November 4, 1979, at the height of the Iranian revolution, the U.S. embassy in Teheran was stormed by revolutionary militants. Fifty-two Americans were taken hostage, triggering an international crisis that lasted 444 days. But in the midst of this chaos, six diplomats manage to escape and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor.
To prevent them from being discovered and executed, the CIA devises an exfiltration plan to get them safely out of Iran. Clandestine operations specialist Tony Mendez (played by Ben Affleck) devises a risky strategy: posing as a Canadian film production team, who have come to Iran to shoot a fictional science fiction film entitled Argo. With the help of Hollywood and the Canadian government, Mendez must carry out this seemingly impossible mission, where the slightest misstep could result in the deaths of all six refugees.
Argo appeals to a wide audience, from political thrillers to historical dramas. The film, based on a true story, will appeal to those interested in tales of espionage, international crises and covert operations. With a mix of palpable tension and lighter moments provided by Hollywood characters played by John Goodman and Alan Arkin, the film offers a perfect balance of gravity and humor.
Audiences who have enjoyed films such as The President's Men or Zero Dark Thirty will find Argo 's plot just as captivating, with its meticulous historical reconstruction. What's more, the far-fetched idea of using the film industry as a cover for an exfiltration mission gives the film a surprising originality, reinforced by the fact that it's based on a true story.
Argo is a captivating thriller, masterfully directed by Ben Affleck, that plunges you into one of the most tense diplomatic crises of the 20th century. Through breathtaking direction and outstanding acting performances, this Oscar-winning film continues to fascinate with its unique blend of suspense, historical realism and humor. Available on Prime Video from October 1, 2024, Argo is a must-see for all fans of drama andespionage.
Our opinion on Argo (2012):
Ben Affleck has a taste for suspense and, for the third time in a row, he proves that he has all the talent needed for this kind of exercise. In Argo, he tells the story of how CIA agent Tony Mendes (played by himself) manages to smuggle six American spies out of the Middle East. It's the most unlikely exfiltration story ever told. It's also the best-exploited science fiction scenario ever brought to the screen.
Ben Affleck focuses on an episode from 1979 that is as extraordinary as it is exemplary. Because the political implications were far too great at the time, the details of this affair were kept secret until Bill Clinton's term of office. Inspired by true events, the film reveals the rescue of these six Americans through a "cinematographic-political" maneuver.
The film begins with a brief chronology of Iran. It stops on November 4, 1979, outside the gates of the US embassy in Teheran. The staff are taken hostage by activists. Six people manage to escape and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. The CIA devises an eccentric plan to bring them back to the United States before they are spotted and killed. The idea: to make a fake movie. In order to make a film shoot in Iran credible, all means are used: script, actors, promotion... Tony Mendes must then go to the location, make the authorities believe that the six diplomats belong to the film crew, and return with them. Neither seen nor known. A project that will have to be defended not only to the American government, but also to those concerned.
If a director's fertile mind had come up with a story like this, the film would have been considered far-fetched. The veracity of the facts lends even greater force to the tension created by Ben Affleck. Both director and actor convey the magnitude of the role played by the agent in the outcome of the situation: the risks he runs for these civilians and for himself. It's the human, rather than the political, stakes here that are most important. Even if the backdrop is inseparable from its historical context, Argo is above all interesting for this mise en abyme. One might even hope that certain films were originally conceived to serve needs other than cinematographic ones.
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