Zero Dark Thirty...The Fugitive's Final Hour

Zero Dark Thirty
 
Starring:Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, and Jason Clarke
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by:Mark Boal
Genre: Drama
Released: December 2012

Synopsis:

Maya is a CIA agent, whose career was singularly focused to uncover the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden.in response to the September 11th, 2001 attacks. Finally, in 2011, it seems that her work will finally come to fruition, as a U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent out to kill or capture Bin Laden. But only Maya is confident Bin Laden is where she says he is. Will he be there?

 Trailer

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Jessica Chastain's Maya, is at the centre of the CIA assignment to locate bin Laden. The 10-year manhunt that involved numerous setbacks, and CIA deaths, is reinacted with a meticulous attention to detail. Zero Dark Thirty adheres closely to the CIA's official version of events, as received by screenwriter Mark Boal from his anonymous sources.

                                

Much of the film hovers around deskbound research and the labourous follow up of leads. However, the intensity of the Maya's conviction to leave no stone unturned, is impressive. She is thorough and unrelenting. Be forewarned that the opening sequences are quite difficult to watch, as there are openly violent, cruel interrogations of detainees, displaying suspects being waterboarded, beaten and humiliated. Maya dutifully appears as an employee just following her orders but is strained, and anguished while watching her colleague Dan (Jason Clarke) torture the prisoner. She also encounters internal battling between the CIA suits and onging frustration with a prolonged lack of progress. She becomes convinced that bin Laden's location has been pinpointed. Was anyone listening? So much so, that she scribbles a large number counting each day on her boss' wall for everyone to be aware of subsequent days the CIA does not  act on her hunch.

                            

The genre for this film can also be classifed as a thriller, if the final scene is taken into account, in its blood display, and compelling tension.  Every scene chosen impacts on the unfolding, and building of events towards the enthralling conclusion.

The director Kathryn Bigelow tackles the complex story with the same intenstiy, intuition and intelligence that won her an Oscar for The Hurt Locker.  As disturbing as it often is to watch, it offers dynamic cinematic material warranting many viewings. You sit on the edge of your seat as she delivers a truthful chain of events, gritty, fascinating, and informational, set with a vengeful flavour, that matches the quest in this intelligent drama. She  certainly warrants her best director nomimation at this year's Academy awards, as does Jessican Chastain for best actress.  Bigelow and Boal are not in the business of providing easy answers with this film, rather they strive to present the tense, memorable sequences in the CIA's search for the man behind the 9/11 New York City attacks