Absolutely brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2013)

Films like this can be a tricky thing to nail; portray events in too gung-ho a manner, you run the risk of being accused of over-patriotism, conversely, if you depict things in an opposing light, you could be criticised of condemnation. 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a film which walks a narrow tightrope, but manages to do so with expertise so well-handled that it appears effortless. Similarly the film never feels like a documentary, an impressive feat considering that it could easily become a wearying succession of facts. One of the best things about it is that personalises the hunt for bin Laden by focusing on the central character of Maya, played by Jessica Chastain and makes her pursuit to find him an intense and gripping obsession.
We first meet Maya in 2003, in a 'black site' as she watches fellow CIA officer Dan (Jason Clarke) interrogate a detainee over suspicion that he has links to Saudi terrorists. As he subjects the prisoner to waterboarding and tortuous humiliation, we see Maya flinch in the corner at the very sight of it, but by the time the credits roll she is a completely different character. 'History's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man' as the poster put, changes her deeply, as she goes from being a young woman uncertain how to act in the situation she's landed in to being a strong-willed officer passionately and unhealthily driven by her desire to find this man. Significantly, she is not your conventional movie heroine; there is no speech concerned with fighting for your country and little backstory to suggest she has a personal connection to 9/11 or the terrorist attacks, a la the death of a loved one, all we get is "a lot of my friends have died for this; I believe I was spared to finish the job." The cloaked-in-secrecy stance with which director Kathryn Bigelow and writer/producer Mark Boal approach the film's characters works in its favour, helping to firmly ground them in reality.
The first act or so of 'Zero Dark Thirty' is rather murky and unclear; people talk about other people who may or may not have information concerning the matters at hand. Yet, this was probably a conscious decision because as the story develops, it becomes increasingly clearer and more focused as it hurtles towards a quite literally breathtaking finale. Bigelow is a filmmaker who has become renowned (and also dismissed by some female critics) for her skillful handle of action scenes and the eventual raid that unfolds in the film's final act is nothing short of incredible. It is a taut and properly white knuckle sequence that combines third-person combat with the first-person view from the infrared night vision; but don't think that it plays out like a video game, instead it feels brilliantly cinematic. However, the best thing about this climax (and possibly the entire film) is that you are always captivated, as one reviewer so rightly said: "The sign of a good movie is one that keeps you gripped even when you already know the outcome."
This is aided by a consistently strong cast. Jessica Chastain who has had major roles in twelve films in the past two years, has delivered what I feel is her strongest performance yet. It is a superb piece of acting that is exemplified by her character's fascinating arc from idealism to cold emptiness. Chastain is notably supported by an impressive Jason Clarke, an actor with a great screen presence and a natural Jennifer Ehle as a fellow officer and friend of Maya's; while Mark Strong leaves a firm impact upon the viewer during his first scene where erupts in a CIA meeting.
'Zero Dark Thirty' is not a warm film and this may prove problematic for some; it is cold and none of its characters could said to be likable, but despite the fact that you don't exactly for root for Maya, you are still engrossed in her journey. There are moments of character, but effectively reflecting its central figure, this is a film primarily concerned with one objective. The good guys aren't really 'good' in the truest sense; they're morally ambiguous people engaged in complicated and ultimately dirty work. And as for all the ongoing controversy surrounding, amongst other aspects, the torture scenes, I believe that the film takes neither a pro- nor an anti-torture stance, instead questioning the effectiveness of such an action.
This film blew me away. I wasn't the biggest fan of 'The Hurt Locker', finding it to be quite good, but no masterwork. The same cannot be said for Bigelow's latest, as this an expertly orchestrated and incredibly tense piece of work that requires one hundred percent of your attention one hundred of the time and rewards you for doing so. Kathryn Bigelow, snubbed by the Academy this year, is one of the most talented directors around today and with 'Zero Dark Thirty' she has delivered an astounding, exceptional piece of cinema.