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Mendez would fly to Tehran under a false name and pretend he'd come there with the six U.S. officials. They'd all pose as a film crew scouting locations for a sci-fi action flick called "Argo." With fake passports in hand (provided by the cooperative Canadian government), they'd walk right out the front door, get on a plane to Switzerland and fly home to safety. As Mendez's boss at the CIA (a commanding Bryan Cranston) puts it, "This is the best bad idea we have." It could all go wrong at any second, of course, with the capriciousness of those in power creating a dangerous variable. But the Americans had to know their parts inside and out, and the film at least had to look real enough to fool people
-- and for that, Mendez turns to an old friend, makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman, with a wonderful mix of warmth and sarcasm). Chambers in turn hooks him up with veteran Hollywood producer Lester Siegel (a hilariously no-nonsense Alan Arkin), who puts the wheels in motion to give "Argo" the necessary authenticity: big ads in the trades, a production office on the Warner Bros. lot, even the media circus of a script read-through. A cheesy "Star Wars" rip-off, "Argo" would have been total schlock if it had actually seen the light of day, and that's a major source of humor that's inside-Hollywood without being alienating. As Siegel says, if he's going to make a fake movie, "it's going to be a fake hit." Working with a top-notch production team, including cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and composer Alexandre Desplat, Affleck creates a vivid `70s vibe while moving fluidly between these intersecting storylines. While steeped in the trends and filmmaking style of the decade, "Argo" still feels immediate and relevant. Affleck's best film yet is also one of the best films of the year. "Argo," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated R for language and some violent images. Running time: 120 minutes. Four stars out of four. ___ Motion Picture Association of America rating definition for R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
[Associated
Press;
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