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(out of 5)
Following the terminally ill Shah’s escape to America and Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power over a newly conservative Iran, Americans at the U.S. embassy in 1979 Tehran find themselves in grave danger. Crowds storm the streets, furiously demanding that the Shah be sent back to Iran to be tried, the mob eventually overpowering security at the Embassy and taking the employees hostage. Six staff members manage to escape, holing up at the home of the Canadian ambassador (Victor Garber) and awaiting a safe escape, but the C.I.A. is at a loss as to how to get them out. Enter rescue expert Ben Affleck (who also directed this fine, taut thriller), who comes up with the only solution he believes will work: give the staff members the cover story that they are a Canadian film crew in Iran scouting locations. In order to pull this off, Affleck needs to put an actual film into production, hiring the efforts of a mouthy producer (a terrific Alan Arkin) and Oscar winning makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman). Script readings are conducted, costumes are sewn, posters are made and storyboards are drawn so that by the time Affleck enters Tehran with six fake Canadian passports in hand, the pieces are all in place and the cover story is legitimate. This doesn’t mean that the operation is secure or will go down smoothly, particularly when you factor in the shattered nerves of the people looking to escape, or the arguments amid levels of government back home. Affleck avoids fanfare and emotional manipulation with this exciting work: the music never swells to a cymbal-crashing extreme, instead focusing on the endless series of tiny details that each have consequences. Eventually the saved-in-the-nick-of-time treatment that each plot movement endures gets to be a bit much (surely not everything was an eleventh hour success, even if truth truly is stranger than fiction), but the superb acting and smooth direction carry it through and this feeling of contrivance never compromises the experience.
USA, 2012
Directed by Ben Affleck
Screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Tony Mendez and the Wired Magazine article The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman
Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto
Produced by Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Production Design by Sharon Seymour
Costume Design by Jacqueline West
Film Editing by William Goldenberg
Film Festivals: TIFF 2012
Cast Tags: Adrienne Barbeau, Aidan Sussman,Alan Arkin, Alborz Basiratmand, Alex Schemmer, Ali Farkhonde, Ali Saam, Alison Fiori, Allegra Carpenter, Amir K, Amitis Frances Ariano, Andrew Varenhorst, Annie Little,Araz Vahid Ebrahim Nia,Asghar Allah Veirdi Zadeh, Ashley Wood,Bahram Khosraviani, Baris Deli, Barry Livingston, Ben Affleck, Bill Blair, Bill Kalmenson, Bill Tangradi,Bob Gunton, Bobby Naderi, Bobby Zegar,Brandon Tabassi, Bryan Cranston, Cas Anvar,Chris Messina, Christopher Denham, Christopher Stanley, Clea DuVall,Danielle Barbosa, Danilo Di Julio, Daston Kalili,David Sullivan, Deborah Deimel Bean, Dorianne Pahlavan, Eric Scott Cooper, Fahim Fazli,Fanshen Cox, Farshad Farahat, Houshang Touzie, Hovik Gharibian,J.R. Cacia, Jamie McShane,Jean Carol, John Boyd,John Goodman, John Hans Tester, Jon Woodward Kirby, Joseph S. Griffo, Jozef Fahey,Karina Logue, Keith Szarabajka, Kelly Curran,Ken Edling, Kerry Bishé,Kyle Chandler, Larry Sullivan, Leyla Beysulen,Lindsey Ginter, Mark Rhino Smith, Matt Nolan,Matthew Glave, Maz Siam,Mehrdad Sarlak, Michael Cassidy, Michael Chieffo,Michael Parks, Michael Woolston, Muhammed Cangören, Nancy Stelle,Nelson Franklin, Nikka Far, Omid Abtahi, Page Leong, Peter Henry Schroeder, Puya Abbassi,Rafi Pitts, Ray Haratian,Ray Porter, Reza Mir,Richard Dillane, Richard Kind, Rob Brownstein,Rob Tepper, Roberto Garcia, Rory Cochrane, Ruty Rutenberg, Ryan Ahern,Saba Sarem, Sahm McGlynn, Sam Sheikholeslami, Scoot McNairy, Scott Anthony Leet, Scott Elrod,Sharareh Sedghi, Sheila Vand,Soheil Tasbihchi, Stephen J. Lattanzi, Taies Farzan,Tate Donovan, Taylor Schilling, Tehmina Sunny,Tim Quill, Titus Welliver,Tom Lenk, Tony Mendez,Victor Garber, Victor McCay, Yan Feldman, Yuri Sardarov,Zeljko Ivanek
Academy Awards
Best Film Editing (William Goldenberg)
Best Picture (Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney, producers)
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Chris Terrio)
Nominations
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Alan Arkin as “Lester Siegel”)
Best Music (Original Score) (Alexander Desplat)
Best Sound Editing (Erik Aadahl, Ethan van der Ryn)
Best Sound Mixing (John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Jose Antonio Garcia)
Golden Globe Awards
Best Motion Picture-Drama
Best Director (Ben Affleck)
Nominations
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Alan Arkin)
Best Screenplay (Chris Terrio)
Best Original Score-Motion Picture (Alexandre Desplat)
New York Film Critics Award Nominations
Best Film
Best Director (Ben Affleck)
Los Angeles Film Critics Award
Best Screenplay (Chris Terrio)
Nomination
Best Editing (William Goldenberg)
National Board Of Review Awards
Top Ten Films
Spotlight Award (John Goodman)
Special Achievement in Filmmaking (Ben Affleck)
Screen Actors Guild Award Nomination
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Alan Arkin)
Writers Guild Award
Best Adapted Screenplay
Directors Guild Award
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (Ben Affleck)
British Academy Awards
Best Film
Best Editing
David Lean Award for Direction (Ben Affleck)
Nominations
Best Leading Actor (Ben Affleck)
Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Cesar Award
Best Foreign Film
Boston Film Critics Award Nomination
Best Film Editing
Chicago Film Critics Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director (Ben Affleck)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Editing
Best Original Score
