Review of Argo (2012) by Jack W — 08 Nov 2013

None of the suspense in this movie works of you don't buy into the truth of what you are being shown. There is very little truth in it. Saying the Brit's and Aussies refused to take them in is an outrage only outdone by the amount of credit give the CIA. President Cart said, "90% of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian. And the movie gives almost full credit to the American CIA. But Ben Affleck's character in the film was... only in Tehran a day and a half. And the main hero, in my opinion, was Ken Taylor, who was the Canadian ambassador who orchestrated the entire process.".

Really, that's what President Carter actually said. If you knew those things you'd have spent the whole moving rolling your eyes, as I did.

Truth? The British took the risk in finding them by driving around looking for them in an orange Austin, the only Austin Maxi in Iran and sporting its GB bumper sticker! That was heroic! Plus, they drove them to the airport. Their ticket had been bought 3 days in advance, before Mendez is there. Their flight is at 5:30, the fanatics are not even there, and the whole departure came off with no hitch. And now, for their trouble the British get portrayed to tens of millions of people as the country that refused the escaped Americans refuge, as were the Aussies.

This is the kind of dishonesty that sometimes makes me less that proud to be an American.