What's startling is that the invented elements have been done so well. (One tolerable, perhaps inevitable, exception is a moist, uplifting coda.) Without giving any plot points away, I can tell you that a climactic scene turns on a marvelous surprise, and promise you frequent spasms of suspense that will grow almost unbearable.
WSJ: 'Argo,' on Fake Film, Is Real Sensation | Film Review by Joe Morgenstern