A Reel Review: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Understand this about ZERO DARK THIRTY: during the final thirty minutes, which portrays the now infamous Navy SEAL raid on Osama Bin-Laden’s fortified compound…you will not blink. You will not move. You will not flex a muscle. You may even forget to breathe. It is realistically tense and scary; dropping you right into the situation as if you were a fly on the muzzle of a rifle. It is a remarkable, gripping piece of filmmaking which is unforgettable not just because of the way it is filmed and presented, but also because of the journey taken to get there. 

Maya (Jessica Chastain), is a CIA operative who spends the first seven years of her career hunting down Osama Bin-Laden (referred to as UBL); the man responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Director Kathryn Bigelow pulls you into the moment right away with ZERO DARK THIRTY by re-living the events of 9/11 by simply using the sounds of the actual 9-1-1 distress calls. From that harrowing opening on, you are hooked and along for the ride now that you’ve been reminded about the importance of the film’s ultimate goal: find and kill UBL. From there the film slowly unfolds the many events which took place during the near-decade long manhunt, from dead-end leads to CIA interrogation/torture to political in-fighting. The film is presented as if we are a fly-on-the-wall during the proceedings; there is no over-acting, over-scoring or over-dramatic moments. Everything is presented in real-time and makes for a very engaging trip. 

At the heart of it all is Maya. We don’t get to know her very well as far as personal life or backstory (we don’t even know if Maya is her real name or a code-name), as ZERO DARK THIRTY is all about business. We see the film and the events through Maya’s eyes, and with her we feel every stumble and roadblock, and are with her as she loses friends and colleagues during the seemingly insurmountable task she is assigned. Furthering the thickness of the plot is Maya’s struggles to prove herself in a male-dominated society. It is never heavy-handed and doesn’t derail the film or stick out like a sore thumb, and adds to the eventual relief and emotional elation we feel with her once the destination is reached. 

ZERO DARK THIRTY’s destination, the raid on the compound, is nothing short of a cinematic miracle. In the moments leading up to the landing, Bigelow builds a slow tension which will have hearts beating through chests. Once the engagement begins, the darkness of the environment and the unfolds like a great horror film; who or what is behind the next door or corner has never been more frightening or breathtaking. The raid also has excellent use of the night-vision; putting us right in the moment and on the ground with the troops. 

Jessica Chastain owns the film, and there is never a moment when we’re not on board with everything she has to overcome. The cast is quite large, and many characters flux in and out of the story as the years go by. Everyone nails their parts perfectly; Kyle Chandler, James Gandolfini, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Duplass, and Edgar Ramirez are all excellent, and the smaller parts never feel like an intrusive cameo. As great as Chastain is, the film is nearly stolen by Jason Clarke, who as a CIA interrogator is a fearsome force to be reckoned with. 

The real triumph of ZERO DARK THIRTY is not just its realism, but that even though we already know the outcome, we are often left to wonder just how in the heck our characters will pull off that outcome. The end of the manhunt is an emotional punch, made effective by the long and worthwhile journey taken to get there. ZERO DARK THIRTY isn’t just a film to watch, but a film to experience; an experience that won’t leave you easily. That is a mark of great filmmaking. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it