Movie of the year

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2013)

I found this movie riveting. I don't understand the negative reviews. I have read nearly all of them for insight. Although the torture scenes are difficult to watch, they are necessary to give the film perspective and emphasize the importance of the mission. The film does have a slow pace and it is not a pure action movie. If you are expecting Mission Impossible, then don't see it. Some of the characters probably could have been developed a little more, but Maya is the central character and is a tour de force. I think Jessica Chastain does an amazing job and her character is multi-dimensional.
The film could definitely be divided in two, much like other war movies, i.e. Full Metal Jacket. The first half establishes the mission and the difficulty in finding Osama Bin Laden's position. The second half is the mission. The depiction of the steps the Seals took to invade the compound kept me on the edge of my seat. I suspect that many of the people that gave this movie a negative review are either a) not American citizens or b) conspiracy theorists c) fans of being indifferent to movies received by critics. It is a great movie and I highly recommend it. I have watched Django Unchained, Life of Pi, and Flight recently which are all good, but I think this movie really stands out among this years elite.