1979: the US and Iran are drawing on each other, while a CIA agent tries to sneak 6 Americans out of Teheran.

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November 4, 1979: with tension between the US and the Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran at its height, demonstrators force their way into the US embassy in Teheran, taking 50 Americans hostage. They demand the Shah be sent home to face charges of crimes committed in the interest of the West. Six hostages manage to escape through a back door to the Canadian ambassador's house. But the extremists find out and are on their heels, probably with intent to kill. The CIA calls in an "exfiltration" specialist to help the six escape the country in a major sleight-of-hand scheme: by passing off the fugitives as a Canadian camera team there to shoot a sci-fi movie.

Ben Affleck brings back the 1970's political thriller in great style, with two roller-coaster hours through recent history, spiced with digs at Hollywood and breathtaking suspense. After too long a time of no choice except between the American majors who offer endlessly lame superheroes, and pretentious European auteur cinema that applauds itself with self-proclaimed superiority every year at Cannes, there is finally a wonderful alternative: Ben Affleck!