Simon Dillon reviews this gripping piece of cinema

At the beginning of Ben Affleck's latest directorial effort Argo, there are scratches and deliberate print damage, beautifully evoking the now sadly all but passed era of 35mm. As someone who consistently proclaims the superiority of 35mm over digital projection (in much the same way as some insist vinyl is better than CD), perhaps an app should be designed that adds these effects on all digitally projected films, duping Luddites like me into thinking they are watching a real print passing through a projector.

Here however, the scratches and subsequent deliberate graining in the film evoke the era Argo is set, namely 1979/1980. The plot concerns a little known chapter of espionage history, about how in the aftermath of the US Embassy hostage crisis in Iran, a group of six escaped embassy employees found sanctuary in the house of the Canadian ambassador. With the threat of discovery looming over their heads, the CIA devised a daring and audacious escape plan, whereby the embassy employees would claim to be members of a film crew scouting locations for a non-existent Star Wars rip-off entitled Argo.

In addition to directing duties, Affleck plays Tony Mendez, the CIA operative who masterminds the operation. The subsequent film unfolds in riveting, gripping fashion, and like the best real stories, it is so unbelievable that it has to be true. The atmosphere is authentic, and Affleck gets top marks for suspense, particularly in the nail-biting finale. The rest of the cast - which includes John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea Duvall, Kerry Bishe, Christopher Denham, Scoot McNairy and Rory Cochrane - add good support, and Alexander Desplat contributes another fine score. I should probably add that there is some strong language throughout the film, for those who appreciate such warnings.

As a combination of political thriller and history lesson, Argo works brilliantly. It was particularly interesting to discover how Oscar-winning make up artist John Chambers was recruited for the operation, as he is a hero of mine (his make-up on Planet of the Apes being a particular high point). But most fascinating of all is how then President Jimmy Carter was unable to gain any political kudos as a result of the operation because it remained classified until 1997. One is forced to wonder whether it could have affected the outcome of the 1980 election when Reagan was elected. But at least now the film is able to honour Carter's part in the operation, as well as those directly involved. It's also nice to see a film where the CIA aren't the bad guys for a change, although the film is at pains to point out how the Americans and British created the situation that led to the Iranian revolution and it's subsequent horrors in the first place.

In short, Argo is a fascinating, intelligent and hugely gripping piece of cinema. Highly recommended.