With the release of 'Argo,' we go undercover with these spook flicks
By James Rocchi
Special to MSN Movies
Founded in 1947 out of the remains of the World War II-era Office of
Strategic Services (OSS), the Central Intelligence Agency has a secret role in
America's security ... and as such, has provided plots, backgrounds and settings
for dozens of films since the post-war era. Ben Affleck's new film "Argo" depicts one of the
agency's more successful — and, thanks to President Bill Clinton, declassified —
operations. As an "exfiltration" specialist, Tony Mendez (Affleck) crafts a plan
to get six Americans out of hiding at the Canadian embassy in Iran after the
seizure of the American Embassy Nov. 4th, 1979, forced them to take shelter and
hide. Mendez's plan? Fake a film, the science-fiction epic "Argo," and get the
six embassy employees out of Iran by disguising them as his film crew for a
location scout looking for the perfect place to create an exotic space opera in
the deserts and marketplaces of Iran.
Search: Watch a trailer for 'Argo'
With its culture-clashes between Washington and Hollywood providing humor —
and the real-life, real-world life-or-death stakes providing tension — it's
poised to be one of the biggest hits of the year. It's also instantly one of the
best films ever made about the CIA, either fact or fiction ... and it inspired
us to look at the greatest films ever made about the CIA, whether they focus on
the realities of pushing paper or the drama of dangerous deeds, with some
treating the world of intelligence as the meat of tragedy and others using it as
the fodder for farce; here's our list of picks for your viewing
pleasure.
Bing: Find out more about Ben Affleck
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(Ben Affleck in 'Argo'/Warner
Bros.) |
