A CAPER THE CANADIANS WILL LOVE…

Argo is a 2012 historical drama thriller film directed, produced by, and starring Ben Affleck. The screenplay, written by Chris Terrio, was adapted from the 1999 memoir The Master of Disguise by U.S. C.I.A. operative Tony Mendez and the 2007 Wired article “The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran” by Joshuah Bearman. The film deals with the “Canadian Caper“, in which Mendez led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, under the guise of filming a science-fiction film during the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis.

The film, which also has Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman in supporting roles, was released in the United States on October 12, 2012. It was produced by Grant Heslov, Affleck, and George Clooney.

Argo was praised for the acting (particularly Arkin and Goodman’s), Affleck’s direction, Terrio’s screenplay, the editing, and Desplat’s score. Commentators and participants in the actual operation criticized failures in historical accuracy. The film received seven nominations at the 85th Academy Awards and won three, for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

The film also earned five Golden Globe Award nominations: it won Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director, and Alan Arkin was nominated for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. It won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Arkin was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. It also won Best Film, Best Editing and Best Director at the 66th British Academy Film Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Best Screenplay, and 37th Hochi Film Award for Best International Picture.

Argo is the Featured Blog of the Month for May for its historical background! You can expect to read a critique of the film discussing the “Canadian Caper” C.I.A. mission involving Mendez. You can also read a recommendation that discusses the memoir by Mendez, and the 2007 Wired article that the film was adapted from. There is also a detailed review of Argo that you can read in the featured blog section. You can also watch an interview with CNN‘s Fareed Zakaria with Tony Mendez where he discusses his career in the clandestine services of the C.I.A. and his mission to Iran. There is also a Top Ten List to commemorate the film being a Featured Blog of the Month, and for Argo the topic of the list is My Top Ten C.I.A. Movies! And finally as a Featured Blog of the Month film, you can watch the Official Trailer for the 2012 film and then plan on watching Argo tonight!

Scroll down for you mission if you choose to accept it…!

You can watch the 2012 Official Trailer for Argo below: