Zero Dark Thirty was not a movie that I anticipated seeing, or wanting to see, when I first heard about it. As much as the story seemed like an interesting one there was no particular element that drew me in. Sure, The Hurt Locker was an amazing feat but was that just down to the charisma of the leading man? This was going to be another film set in the middle east for Kathryn Bigelow and I wasn't sure she could pull this one off if I'm honest.
It wasn't until two of my best friends stepped in that I started to change my mind. One of my friends, who's based in the US, went to see the film before it was released here and raved about it. Then, in a move that surprised me and rocked my very foundations, my bff here suggested we go to see it. This is a girl more likely to cry at disney movies than I am, wanting to go see a film about Bin Laden? Well alrighty then!
For those who think this is all Zero Dark Thirty is, allow me to elaborate. The story actually centers on a group of CIA operatives who, over the course of a decade, are trying to locate Bin Laden by any means necessary. This involves some interrogation of those affiliated with him, tracking his couriers across Afghanistan and performing high level surveillance of houses they believed he occupied. All of this eventually leading to his believed location and a mission carried out by Navy SEALs to hunt him down.
In the forefront of all of this action, and I suppose this is where the story really surprises a lot of people, is a woman. Maya, played by the impeccable Jessica Chastain, starts out as a fairly reserved character, watching, listening, taking advice, all the while learning about the enemy and how best to defeat him. Over time she becomes stronger and more able to make the tough decisions than the men around her and eventually comes out victorious after 10 long years. But this is a Kathryn Bigelow movie. It's not about winning the war, it's about what the war takes from you. And this is why Kathryn Bigelow was the perfect person to take on this project. Not because it's a story with a strong female lead. We know from Bigelow's previous films that she directs men as well, if not better than, women. No, the real reason she was perfect for this film is because she is able to tell a story about the aftermath of war, as much as she capable of showing us the war itself.
A lot has been said about the torture scenes in this film but I actually found them to be quite mild. Anyone who has seen Rendition, the movie with Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, will know a hard hitting torture scene when they see one. I have long been a fan of gory horror movies but even I found some of those scenes hard to stomach. By comparison I didn't feel like the torture scenes in this movie were that bad. And they were necessary to show the evolution of Maya's character.
I would definitely recommend seeing Zero Dark Thirty, even if it's not the type of film you would normally see. I guarantee that whatever you think you know about this film is not a true representation of what you get out of seeing it. So go see it. 8 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 2nd February 2013
UK Release Date - 11th January 2013
Cast Overview:
Jessica Chastain ~ Maya
Jason Clarke ~ Dan
Joel Edgerton ~ Patrick
Mark Strong ~ George Wright
Jennifer Ehle ~ Jessica
Kyle Chandler ~ Joseph Bradley
Chris Pratt ~ Justin
Taylor Kinney ~ Jared
Stephen Dillane ~ National Security Advisor
Harold Perrineau ~ Jack
James Gandolfini ~ Leon Panetta
Director ~ Kathryn Bigelow
Writer ~ Mark Boal
