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
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