"Zero Dark Thirty" is no zero of a movie!

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2013)

I am about to embark on the biggest punhunt in the history of my corny pun-induced movie reviews. And I am also on a mission to hunt down men and women to witness the mastery of "Zero Dark Thirty". OK, I am sorry to scare you away, and I am also sorry that I bombed with that opening of my movie review of the spectacular "Zero Dark Thirty". Director Kathryn Bigelow's movie about the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden is about as gripping as it gets in watching a motion picture. "Zero Dark Thirty" stars Jessica Chastain as Maya, a CIA Agent who had an integral role in finding the Pakistani three-story home where Osama Bin Laden hid and where he was eventually killed by the U.S. Navy Seal Team Six. The Maya character is based on a real female CIA Agent who was the secret-operative defining force in finding Bin Laden. The movie opens with no images but of audio recordings of 911 calls from people in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001; the day that changed our world forever. And then it jumps two years later at an undisclosed Detainee Prison where supposedly CIA Agents used torture techniques as waterboarding to Islamic terrorist detainees to force them to divulge information. The information from the detainees was the watershed or should I say waterboard moment that spurred up the eventual finding of Osama Bin Laden years later; but obviously this did not happen abruptly. It was a rigorous and challenging process that is captured authentically by the great directorial hand of Oscar-winning Director Kathryn Bigelow. Remind me again why she was not nominated for a Best Director Oscar for her exemplary orchestration of "Zero Dark Thirty". Talk about terror! The Academy sure slipped big time with that omission. The last 30 minutes of "Zero Dark Thirty" in depicting the Navy Seals raid and the killing of Bin Laden was a thing of cinematic beauty. Mark Boal's compelling screenplay of "Zero Dark Thirty" was a bowl of sharp and cerebral dialogue that accentuated the heroism of Maya. Chastain's performance is the best I have seen by any actor or actress in 2012. In fact, it is one of the best (if not the best) I have seen by any leading actress in motion picture history. Chastain brilliantly captures a woman's determination to accomplish a challenging mission. The supporting cast of "Zero Dark Thirty" earned their medals of thespian excellence like Chastain. Jason Clarke's performance as CIA Agent Dan, who ran the Detainee Camp, is not torturous to watch at all and it should have merited a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Kyle Chandler shined under the "Zero Dark Thirty" lights as Joseph Bradley, who led the CIA Delegation in Pakistan. Jennifer Ehle was a revelation as CIA Agent Jessica who also befriends Maya. Mark Strong's brawny performance as CIA Administrator George added to his strong thespian resume. And James Gandolfini was a hit as the CIA Director. Now I am going to hunt down a few more deserving accolades for "Zero Dark Thirty" in the technical department; those would be Greig Frasier's stunning cinematography, William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor's perfect editing, and Jeremy Hindle's astonishing art direction. I also have to score one more, that would be Alexander Desplat's mesmeric score. "Zero Dark Thirty" is the best movie of the year, and please don't raid in my parade by disagreeing with me. See for yourself! ***** Excellent