This movie tells a remarkable tale based on real-life events. After the Iranian revolution of 1979, the US embassy in Tehran is taken over by angry pro-Ayatollah students who hold its inhabitants hostage. Six of the embassy's workers escape and are hidden by Canadian diplomats. Back in the US, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is tasked with extracting them from this hostile country before they're discovered by Revolutionary Guards.
But how to do the seemingly impossible? Out of all the implausible plans on the table, they pick the least likely of the lot — to create a fake sci fi movie called Argo (a Star wars knock-off). The idea is that Ben Affleck acts as the producer of this movie sent to scout locations in the middle east. The hidden embassy workers would play the film's Canadian crew before being smuggled out of the country.
What plays out is a series of tense set pieces as Mendez first tries to convince the Iranian authorities that Argo is really being made and then as he attempts the daring rescue. It's nerve-wracking, exciting and surprisingly funny.
What's most incredible about this film is that it's based on real events. Of course, it's a Hollywood movie, so there are plenty of embellishments. Some of the characters are invented or are amalgams of the real people involved. And the final scene adds loads of exciting moments that simply didn't happen.
The movie is probably better for such additions. However, I can't help feeling sorry for the real-life Canadian diplomats whose heroic role in the situation has been downplayed. One key figure doesn't even feature in the movie. Ben Affleck's character gets all the glory — his Canadian counterparts become a side story.
And even though it works for a Hollywood movie, it got me thinking how easy it is to take glory for ourselves and push others to the sidelines, not giving them the thanks they deserve. We can be especially good at snatching the limelight and praise away from God who deserves it all — just to give our ego a massage.
Argo is a thrilling tale — it's just a shame some of the real heroes get bypassed. Let's make sure we don't do the same when we find the spotlight pointing on us.
Martin Cole was a staff writer at The Good Book Company for many years working on Discover and Engage. He now works for a children's charity. Martin is married to Kirsty and has two children. He is a passionate lifelong supporter of Chesterfield FC.
