Movies can sometimes remind us of a very human quality: that even in the darkest of times, there are still laughs to be had. “Argo,” the latest film directed by Ben Affleck, does just that. Taking place during the Iran Hostage Crisis, the movie also manages to poke fun at Hollywood and at film-making in general. Affleck has come a long way, even since his first film “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007. “Argo” is, in no uncertain terms, a great movie; and could easily be one of the top runners for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

“Argo” is based on true events during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979. In the gritty, realistic opening scene, Iranians storm the United States embassy in Tehran in reaction to our harbor of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; whom the Iranians wish to convict and execute for crimes against the country. Unknown to the Iranians, six diplomats had actually escaped from the embassy, and are currently hiding out in the residence of a Canadian ambassador.

The CIA, aware of the crisis, formulates plans to rescue the six diplomats, though these are shot down as unrealistic. They have run out of ideas. But, as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck, almost unrecognizable with a full-length beard) has an idea: they are going to create a fake movie, complete with a screenplay, producers, and a director; and will then travel to Iran under the pretense that they are scouting for shooting locations. And the six diplomats would pretend to be part of the production crew, and would be given fake passports for a safe journey home. It is, as his supervisor Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) explains, “The best bad idea we have.”

Affleck shows his directing skills here when he switches the dark undertones of the film into more of the direction of a light-hearted comedy. With a back-drop of 70’s tunes, including “Dream On” by Aerosmith, Affleck takes us believably into Hollywood of the 1970’s. Mendez and his crew must hurry as they begin working on their fake production, since the Iranians are starting to suspect that there were diplomats that escaped the embassy. But, the crew must consider every detail in order to make the movie idea believable. They decide to create “Argo,” an outlandish sci-fi film clearly influenced by the recent premiere of Star Wars. Mendez brings in make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and film producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) to help him make the production a reality. An all-around scene stealer, Siegel at one point openly states: “If I’m going to be producing a fake movie, it’s going to be a fake hit.”

Blending a serious piece of history, combining some light satire about Hollywood, and at the same time keeping the audience engaged, Affleck has created a true work of art with “Argo.” It has some witty one-liners, intense action sequences, and well-rounded characters throughout. Arkin, Cranston, Goodman, and even Affleck himself are all at their finest. “Argo” seems to express the idea that sometimes life shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as people tend to do in the midst of a crisis like this. There is always a chance to have some fun. And “Argo” is, if anything, a lot of fun.