Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES III & IV • October 31, 2012 ‘Argo’ tells gripping story of unlikely mission by Dennis Seuling “Argo,” directed by and starring Ben Affleck, is based on an unusual, true story of an international standoff that remained classified until the Clinton administration. In 1979, when the American Embassy in Iran was overrun and hostages were seized for what would become a 444-day ordeal, six diplomats escaped and were taken in by the Canadian ambassador and hidden as the hostage crisis played out. Affleck begins the film with a sort of mini-history lesson about Iran, highlighted by a 1953 coup backed by the United States and Great Britain that installed an authoritarian shah. The shah fled Iran during the Islamic revolution and eventually sought medical treatment in the United States. The president at the time, Jimmy Carter, refused to extradite the shah to his home country to stand trial. An angry mob beginning to scale the walls of the embassy compound brings viewers up to date. Inside, frightened workers shred documents and destroy sensitive materials. When CIA officials learn where the six escaped diplomats are, they come up with numerous ideas to rescue them and get them out of the country. Each proposal, including having the six individuals bicycle 300 miles to the border, seems doomed. Hopes flag until CIA strategist Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with the plan of having the diplomats assume the identities of a Canadian movie team scouting Iranian locations. Sounding as preposterous as all the others, the plan takes shape after Mendez consults with Hollywood makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), who explain how it could work. For a phony movie to be convincing, an actual script has to exist. Poring over a pile of available scripts, the team settles on “Argo,” a science fiction movie set in expansive desert terrain. Posters are made, trade ads taken, auditions held, and a production office set up to provide credibility. The step-by-step procedure plays like a genuine thriller, with many stumbling blocks along the way, including the diplomats’ lack of faith in the plan. They see only the potential flaws in such a blatantly manufactured cover. Mendez must win them over, since they will be putting their very lives in his hands. Capture would certainly mean their death. Effective movie making is a collaborative process, and it is exhilarating when so many elements come together to produce a really fine picture. That is the case here. Affleck’s role, though central, is not huge, (continued on Crossword page) John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Ben Affleck in ‘Argo.’