Blows Argo out of the water!

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2013)

Thirty minutes after Zero Dark (the military term for midnight) on May 2, 2011, the greatest manhunt in history came to an end. Osama Bin Laden, the man responsible for 9/11, was finally found and assassinated. It was a triumphant day for the U.S. military. But who was the hero behind it? (If you say Barack Obama, I will be starting a manhunt of my own) The writer and director of the Oscar-winning "The Hurt Locker" give us "Zero Dark Thirty", chronicling the events behind the hunt for Bin Laden with superb craftsmanship and unquestionable accuracy.
The central character of the film is Maya, a young CIA officer who has spent her entire brief career since graduating from high school focused solely on gathering intelligence related to Bin Laden following the September 11 attacks. She is a reluctant participant in extreme duress applied to the detainees, but believes that the truth may only be obtained through such tactics.
Despite losing the Best Picture win, "Zero Dark Thirty" blows "Argo" out of the water, in all drama, detail, and verve. Running necessarily for almost three hours, the film is intriguing and exciting from start to finish, and stays respectful by never showing any more of Bin Laden's face than we see of Jesus's in "Ben-Hur". Even if, for some, the leisurely pacing takes some getting used to, it's impossible for anyone not to be stimulated by the suspenseful last 45 minutes, in which the Navy SEAL Team 6 flies in to Bin Laden's hideout to carry out Maya's final plan.
The screenplay was actually in progress before Bin Laden was killed, and completely re-written after his death. The film was originally going to tell the story of the unsuccessful decade-long hunt. It's hard to believe that the movie could have worked this way. It's a fascinating story on its own, true, but looking forward to the climax is the main cause of how invested you get in this picture. Plus, Maya's research and determination wouldn't be building up to anything. You wouldn't feel her directionless mode as you do here.
Jessica Chastain gives a persevering and intense performance as Maya, who is a composite character primarily based on a female agent described in the book 'No Easy Day', which was written by a member of the SEAL Team 6. Otherwise, very little is known about the woman whose work made the vengeance of 9/11 possible. But whoever she may be, the film certainly pays honest-to-God recognition to her. This is one of those films like Paul Greengrass's "United 93" that truly honor the heroes of this wonderful country. "The Real Maya" is one of those heroes.
And Obama thanked himself.
10/10 for "Zero Dark Thirty", for my money the best film of 2012.