A pulsating thriller that may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Rating: 8/10 (19 February 2013)

Following Osama Bin Laden's execution last year, there were many questions left unanswered and a lot of theories surrounding the incident. With "Zero Dark Thirty", director Kathryn Bigelow attempts to dissect the actual theory that compelled the CIA to raid Bin Laden's house and execute him, a theory, that the film states, came from a hunch. Now, I have no clue about what's fact and what's fiction in this dramatization of the events that transpired, taking into account the clamor that broke following the film's release, but as a film, "Zero Dark Thirty" is a fine one that works both as a thriller and as a documentary.
The film opens with a disturbing torture scene where a CIA interrogator Dan (Jason Clarke) tries to break the conscience of a suspect by subjecting him to various forms of torture. Of the few people present in the dimly-lit prison cell, one is Maya (Jessica Chastain) , a CIA officer who has dedicated her life to tracking down Bin Laden. Maya examines the statements of the detainees and thousands of interrogation videos of them for clues regarding the whereabouts of Bin Laden. The film follows her decade-long journey into procuring the necessary information that finally led to his execution.
"Zero Dark Thirty" is devoid of a plot, though Bigelow wallows us in a world where the line between fact and fiction is so thin that the former seems almost insignificant. Cramming ten years of fact, fiction, lore and rumors into 157 minutes is no mean task but Bigelow does it with such skill that "Zero Dark Thirty" is seldom arduous or uninteresting. It has an effortlessly-created grim atmosphere which is imperative given the plot that strives on palpable tension. The film follows a non-linear narrative where the facts that made a difference are examined and argumented upon with a sense of enthusiastic urgency.
When a film is carved entirely out of facts, the license to fictionalize or imply something is a peccadillo. Some of the facts the film talks about are frustratingly implied rather than stated. Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal, working from their own research and some classified information, do not offer a plausible reason for the most important fact that the film states : how could Maya be so sure that her hunch is in fact- as we find out later- correct? In one sequence of the film that could well be the most important one, we see a whole room of CIA officers discussing the chances of Bin Laden being in a walled-house in Abbotabad, Pakistan, while the rest say that 'the chances are 60%', Maya says that 'the chances are a 100%'. The reason for her confident answer is never stated though, which is harrowing. The reason, which could possibly be a befitting answer to most of the errors of the film, is the hurried inclusion of his assassination that Bigelow weaves into the pulsating climax, a story, admittedly, was not the one she kept chasing for most of the film.
Despite the few problems I have with the film, "Zero Dark Thirty" disarmed me with its marvelous execution. It's fiercely alive and happening, cunning and sly when it's supposed to be and above all, peerless. Bigelow directs with assured confidence, occasionally punctuating the plot with nerve-wracking suspense and in the end, manages to tell a difficult story admirably. For me, the best sequence in the film is a mellow chase, where a few CIA officers attempt to track down an important suspect in the bustling market using only the signals from his phone. The sequence is a triumph, a dazzling concoction of film craft and artistry.
Of the performances, Chastain is sensational, playing Maya with such gusto and unpredictability that you're fully aware of her significance in the film. The rest of the cast are stellar, with Mark Strong doing exceptionally well in a small role.
Of the many films that have been made on 9/11, "Zero Dark Thirty" is easily on the of the best though it's nowhere as good as "United 93" which, according to me, still holds the top position. But it's one film that bravely asks questions no film before has attempted to seek answers to, not to mention how the events it recreates are so believable. Though some questions still linger on, we must exult that such films, though rare, are still being made.