Zero Dark Eight out of Ten - Noodles Review

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2013)

Though it didn't win Best Picture, it's a movie worth seeing. Zero Dark Thirty is directed by the Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, known for her 2010 best picture-winning The Hurt Locker. It's the true story about the pursuit of the infamous brain behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Right off the bat, Zero Dark Thirty is a very intelligent movie. It's not just another war movie about the troops running around with their guns (although there are very thrilling sequences of this). The heart of Zero Dark Thirty is really with the people behind, tracking the paper trail of the bad guys. Jessica Chastain's character, Maya, leads the way. This film is really her show. There are other characters that come in and out, but Chastain is the center of this movie. Zero Dark Thirty spans quite a few years, starting in 2003, all the way to Bin Laden's death in 2011. It's interesting seeing Chastain's character grow up from a rookie at the start of the movie to a veteran near the end. This type of character development is almost as stellar as that of Tom Hanks's Forrest Gump. The development of Maya is one of the most important components of the film. In watching it, the viewer is truly on board with her, hunting down Bin Laden with her. However, the amazing development of Maya overshadows the other characters in Zero Dark Thirty, making the majority of them much less important.
What was really lovable about Zero Dark Thirty was that it really pushed the limits. There were a lot of scenes that were disturbing to watch and unapologetic, but that's the beauty of it because these things really did happen and it makes the film that much more realistic and engrossing. At times in the movie, you really feel like your in the situation with the characters. The realism doesn't stop there; it continually transcends itself for the two-and-a-half hour run time. Unfortunately, the realism of it also includes some boring and long scenes of office work and phone calls. Though, this adds more to feel that you are there with Maya on the hunt. You feel how she feels: the frustration, the boredom, and the apathy at some points.
On the contrary to the long and drawn out scenes of the office, the film contains a ton of intense and suspenseful scenes; particularly the last half hour. Before watching this movie, I was informed that the last 30 minutes of Zero Dark Thirty would be one of the most thrilling movie- going experiences ever. It really doesn't disappoint. Even knowing how the movie will end, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
All in all, Zero Dark Thirty, so far, the best film of 2013. It's acted phenomenally (especially by Jessica Chastain who was my pick for the Oscar for Best Actress); it's gripping to the edge; it's strong, realistic, and unapologetic. Zero Dark Thirty is a movie recommended to anyone who can handle the intensity of it and will, without a doubt.