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Argo (2012)

R   |    |  Biography, Drama, Thriller

Argo (2012) Poster

Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.

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7.7/10
531,686
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86 Metascore

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  • Ben Affleck in Argo (2012)
  • Max Greenfield at an event for Argo (2012)
  • Farshad Farahat at an event for Argo (2012)
  • Ben Affleck in Argo (2012)
  • Ben Affleck in Argo (2012)
  • Jennifer Garner at an event for Argo (2012)

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Awards

Won 3 Oscars.

Another 94 wins & 152 nominations.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
12 October 2012 | macktan894
8
| Quite suspenseful!
Ben Affleck continues hitting them out of the park. Based on a true story, Argo re-enacts the events that freed American foreign service employees from their hideout in the Canadian Embassy. The setup involves Affleck's character, Mendes, putting together the cover story of a Canadian film crew scouting locations in the Mideast for a sci-fi movie. Alan Arkin & John Goodman are hilarious as Hollywood hotshots producing this surefire scifi hit. The process follows Mendes as he enters Iran and has to BS his way to some skeptical and hostile Iranian theocrats who almost don't know how to respond to the possibility of a scifi movie set in Iran. Mendes must also deal with frightened and reluctant Americans who are being forced out in the open to pose as a movie crew. Affleck does a good job of injecting suspense and dread all through this section.

But the real nail biter is their exit from Iran. As in other movies of this ilk, the chase heats up with the Iranians on the heels of the Americans. Affleck throws into this chase a huge boulder of an obstacle when President Carter pulls the plug on the film crew ex-filtration & decides to go with Delta soldiers instead. If you want to know what happens, I advise you to see the movie or read the news accounts.

This just goes to show you that not all CIA covert actions are led by armed fighters like Jason Bourne and launched by the Treadstone department. Affleck's character doesn't even carry a gun--he carries a script instead.

Metacritic Reviews

Critic Reviews

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Zsa Zsa Gabor's Beverly Hills estate exteriors doubled for the house of Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin). Gabor, who was at home during filming, was too ill to observe the production proceedings.

Quotes

Sahar: This is the Persian Empire known today as Iran. For 2,500 years, this land was ruled by a series of kings, known as shahs. In 1950, the people of Iran elected Mohammad Mossadeqh, a secular democrat, as Prime Minister. He nationalized British and U.S...

Goofs

After the script reading, when Tony Mendez, Lester Siegel and John Chambers make a toast, the camera angle changes while Lester drinks and there is more liquor in his glass in the second shot than in the first.

Crazy Credits

Past the photos of cast members and the real people they play, there's audio from an interview with then-President Jimmy Carter talking about the crisis.

Alternate Versions

An extended version of the film was released on Blu-Ray in 2013 with 9 minutes worth of alternate or extended footage. Many of the new scenes explored Tony Mendez's family background.

Soundtracks

When the Levee Breaks
Written by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham
Performed by Led Zeppelin
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

Storyline

Plot Summary

Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)

Genres

Biography | Drama | Thriller

Details

Release Date:

12 October 2012

Language

English, Persian, Arabic

Country of Origin

USA, UK

Filming Locations

McLean, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$44,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$19,458,109 (USA) (14 October 2012)

Gross:

$136,025,503 (USA)

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