Zero Dark Thirty:
The film follows CIA agent Maya, who hunts for Osama bin Laden, the infamous terrorist leader of al-Qaeda, the group behind 9/11. The film chronicles her journey, from 2002-2011. Many characters drift in and out of the plot, because the main focus is Maya. That's really all I can say about the plot. Jessica Chastain carries the entire movie as Maya, and gives a powerful performance. But, I felt at times, they tried to make her seem like a strong woman type, but it came off as bitchy, and at times she tries to swear, and it comes off as forced and unnatural. Otherwise, kudos goes to Chastain. The cast also includes some big stars like Jason Clarke (Death Race, Lawless, Public Enemies, the upcoming Great Gatsby film), Mark Strong (Syriana, Green Lantern, The Young Victoria, Body of Lies, Robin Hood, Kick-Ass, Sherlock Holmes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Mark Duplass (co-director of Jeff Who Lives at Home and co-star of FX's The League), Joel Edgerton (Star Wars Episodes II & III, Animal Kingdom, Warrior), Kyle Chandler (Grey's Anatomy, Super 8, Friday Night Lights) and James Gandolfini (The Sopranos, True Romance, Get Shorty, Where the Wild Things Are, and Killing Them Softly, another over-hyped film that kind of bored me.) The last thirty minutes where (spoilers) they kill bin Laden are pretty true-to-life and thrilling. The film really takes you on a dramatic journey, but it's very drawn out. A lot of scenes are people making phone calls and using computers in boring office environments. The film is mostly political dialogue for two and a half hours. I feel like it was a bit over-hyped, and a little too slow. One thing I can give it props for is not taking sides, it shows the brutal interrogations of pretty much innocent men who are relatives or former friends of bin Laden. It shows that the US did bad things to catch bin Laden, and it doesn't shy away from it. The film also opens harrowingly with nothing but a black screen with a good 3 minutes of real-life audio from 911 and distress calls from 9/11. The film has some good acting, but a lot of the big name actors are just there for name alone, because the characters they play are forgettable because they constantly are drifting in and out of the plot. Although not as good as The Hurt Locker or Argo, Zero Dark Thirty is a provocative, unflinching depiction of the hunt for public enemy number one. It takes no real sides, and is a showcase of great acting and directing, even if it drags it feet a lot. 3/5 stars.
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