The Cinephile’s Journey: Argo

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars

The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.

Plot: “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.”

Review: From the outset, the filmmakers behind Argo acknowledge the complicated relationship between the United States and Iran. Throughout much of the 19th century, the U.S. attempted and succeeded in many regime changes in countries our leaders deemed hostile to our national interests. This sort of heavy diplomacy and interference made few friends and lasting enemies. Topping that list in the 1970s might have been Iran. By choosing to acknowledge this truth, we get a less sanitized and patriotic version of the truth. Certainly, we can still view this story as a battle between good and evil, but once we take past intrusions into account, the story becomes more complex..

The other thing this film does exceptionally well is choosing to not get bogged down in that shared history. Our attempts at regime change could be its own movie, but this one is not concerned with telling that story. This fast-paced film is…