Zero Dark Thirty
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton, and Chris Pratt
Rated R for language, brutal disturbing images, and strong violence.
This is a knock out film. It is the story of how the CIA tracked Osama Bin Laden for nearly a decade and ultimately found him. Whatever details may be fictionalized or exaggerated will most likely go unnoticed. The events in this film are depicted very realistically and are extremely detailed. At just shy of three hours long, the film spans from September 11, 2001 all the way through the death of Bin Laden in 2011.
The film does not mess around with politics or the war in Iraq. It has one purpose - find and kill Osama Bin Laden. Jessica Chastain plays the CIA Agent assigned to the task. She gives one of the best performances of the year. Chastain makes you feel the toll it takes to hunt a terrorist in the most hostile of circumstances. It is the intelligence that she gathers that leads to the raid on Bin Laden's compound, though she appears to be the only one who actually believes he is hiding there. The film is long, but its length does not feel unnecessary. Every detail only confirms how arduous it was to find Bin Laden.
The last half of the film is fascinating. The scenes begin to build on each other with increasing intensity. It is a shame that director Kathryn Bigelow was snubbed of an Oscar nomination, because it is her doing that makes this film powerful and effective. The finale depicting the raid on Osama's compound will have your eyes glued to the screen.
There are select movies that I believe all people need to see, and these movies tend to have major historical significance much like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Zero Dark Thirty is one of those movies. Such movies are not always easy to watch, but they are not meant to be. They are meant to show you something important, something we should not forget. I know I won't forget Zero Dark Thirty.
RATING: A+
No comments:
Post a Comment