Review: Zero Dark Thirty

Plot:  Based on the ten year manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty follows the exploits of CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain), a fictionalized representation of the real woman who tracked down Bin Laden's chief courier and the complex he resided in at the time of his death.  Despite challenges from other CIA intelligence officers, al-Qaeda, and her own friends, Maya remains single-minded in her one purpose--to find and kill the most notorious terrorist of all time.

Review:  Dark, gritty, and always provocative, Zero Dark Thirty is a well crafted and intelligent thriller unlike any I've ever seen before.  Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow somehow manages to keep the tension high and the audience fully invested even though we know the ultimate outcome.  The scrupulous attention to detail that served he so well for the bomb squads in The Hurt Locker, comes in handy once again when it comes to the inner workings of the CIA abroad.  Whether it is a war room meeting between an assistant associate director (Mark Strong) or the horrifying torture of an al-Qaeda member, the authenticity crackles across the screen.  I must admit however that I didn't care for Bigelow's choice to have the location of a scene spelled out every time the scene changed.  A cardinal rule of film making is show don't tell and I think Bigelow dropped the ball there.  Additionally, the names of the al-Qaeda terrorist members and their aliases become extremely difficult to follow after awhile.  I realize this is a fast paced thriller but the last thing you want is someone to get bogged down in a "Where Is Fared Abdul Ahmed Kareem?" pop-up book.
     Any of my minor directorial concerns are offset by the mesmerizing performance of Jessica Chastain as Maya.  Her portrayal has already earned her a Golden Globe and there is a strong chance she'll be holding up Mr. Oscar next month.  As chauvinistic as this may sound, you just don't expect a female to thrive in such a male dominated mission.  But make no mistake, Maya is a bulldog and single minded in her goal.  She recognizes that old ways of thinking about the enemy need to be put aside.  Maya's strong will actually becomes more resolute as time goes on.  (For example early on Maya is slightly disturbed by the torture tactics of Dan (Jason Clarke) but by the end she's using her own guy to interrogate and punish people.)  Seemingly by will alone Maya is able to convince those around her that Bin Laden's courier is the key.  Yet Chastain also brings a quiet humanity to Maya.  She's not a robot.  Maya loses close friends along the way and mourns for them.  In fact the closing scenes represent well how a single obsession can be emotionally wrenching.  Chastain makes Maya easy to root for because despite her position, at the end of the day she's very human.
     Many have called Zero Dark Thirty out for being a "pro-torture" film.  I think that's not only untrue but unfair.  Make no mistake the waterboarding, putting people in small boxes, leaving them naked for days--these are forms of torture, real acts that the United States permitted.  (Anybody who tries to tell you otherwise is trying to sell you a fecal flavored lollipop and trying to pass it off as dark chocolate.)  Zero Dark Thirty merely tries to depict events AS THEY ACTUALLY HAPPENED.  It doesn't sugarcoat.  It leaves the morality decisions up to the audience.  And in the end it makes for not only a great thriller but a surprisingly honest movie.

My rating:  9/10