Argo, a film set in the midst of the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, explored a CIA rescue mission to retrieve diplomats imprisoned in Tehran. This was a surprise win for Affleck, who was up against Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ and Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘Zero Dark Thirty.’
The film got bad press for taking liberties on historical facts, particularly in exaggerating the role played by the CIA to rescue the US diplomats in a sense disregarding the role of the Canadian envoys in Tehran at that time. However, the win was a vindication for Affleck who had missed out on last week’s Oscar nominations. Argo producer George Clooney mentioned in an interview that he had been disappointed when the film missed out on the Oscar nominations.
Receiving the award, Affleck paid a tribute to the actual diplomats and agents, including the CIA agent he played. He also added that the movie “should have been nominated” for the Oscars set for February 24th.
Affleck’s ‘Les Miserables’ also won big scooping the best musical/comedy film, supporting actress and best actor awards.
