The backdrop is the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, in which 52 Americans were held hostage in Iran for 444 days after a group of Islamist militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran. Argo shows the story of how a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist, played by Ben Affleck , was able to free six Americans hiding in Iran at the Canadian ambassador's residence. So how does the Central Intelligence Agency plan to get the six Americans out of Iran? By pretending they are part of a movie crew searching for an exotic location for a very bad sci-fi movie, of course. Ben Affleck's directorial follow-up to 2010's The Town is not only better, but it is one of the most entertaining films of the year - and will be a front-runner for the upcoming Oscars. In this political espionage thriller, Ben Affleck brings a keen attention to detail, as his recreation of archival footage is gritty and '70s-tense. Affleck brings in ...