ARGO (M)

Argo at The Revival House Perth

When Iranian revolutionaries storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979, six American diplomats manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor. With anti-American fury at its height and the hostages facing an uncertain fate, the CIA's exfiltration specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is tasked with extracting the six Americans before they're discovered—a mission many consider impossible. Mendez devises an audacious plan: create a fake Canadian science fiction film called "Argo," complete with Hollywood producers, a script, and full-page ads in Variety, then fly into Tehran posing as the film's location scout. The six Americans will pose as the Canadian film crew on a scouting trip. To sell the deception, Mendez recruits veteran makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and jaded producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) to create a complete Hollywood façade. As Revolutionary Guards grow suspicious and time runs out, Mendez must hold his nerve through airport interrogations and last-minute complications.

Ben Affleck's 2012 thriller masterfully balances mordant Hollywood satire with white-knuckle suspense, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film's genius lies in its tonal control—the Los Angeles sequences mining comedy from the absurdity of creating a fake sci-fi movie (complete with a table read and a party at the Brown Derby), while the Tehran scenes maintain unbearable tension as the slightest misstep could mean execution. Affleck's restrained performance as Mendez anchors the film, while Goodman and Arkin steal their scenes with pitch-perfect cynicism about the movie business. Rodrigo Prieto's cinematography and period-accurate production design recreate both 1979 Hollywood and revolutionary Iran with meticulous detail. Alexandre Desplat's score knows when to pulse with tension and when to hold back. The climactic airport escape delivers edge-of-your-seat suspense despite the outcome being historical fact—a testament to Affleck's directorial command.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Sunday, March 29th at 6:00PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (Mature themes, violence and coarse language)

Affleck's Oscar-winning thriller proves truth is stranger than fiction—experience this gripping real-life spy caper on 35mm film.

Presented by: The Revival House Perth