MEOW!
Zero Dark Thirty made me feel like a jerk. I guess that was the intention of Kathryn Bigelow, who also directed The Hurt Locker; her moral in that film was "war is a drug." This time, the drug seems to be how terrorism poisons the human mind, and while they seem to break out of that habit at times, there's no turning back on what had occurred, for it has happened. What is 100% accurate remains in questioning; what can be said is that this is a very admirable work by Bigelow and crew. While this is yet ANOTHER one of these films that could've used a little more development in our characters (We get to know NONE of the U.S. Navy Seal members), and it's also ANOTHER film that doesn't need to be more than two-and-a-half hours long (kind of hypocritical, but we'll get to that later), the film does address how twisted our society has become in a relatively honest and thoughtful way. It's also exceptional in its filmmaking; the opening couple of minutes is just a dark screen while hearing the unfortunate cries of those suffering on 9/11, and the result is incredibly effective to the ears. And while we're on the subject of sound, I don't think I've ever jumped more than once at the sound of explosions before; if there's one thing this film needs an Oscar for, it's in the sound department. The use of editing during the raid at Bin Laden's house is also outstanding, especially when it switches from the P.O.V. of night-vision goggles to the P.O.V. of Maya watching what's going on {SIDE-NOTE: Good thing this film wasn't shot in 3-D, because we wouldn't tell what was happening at all when the raid occurs.}. Speaking of Maya, Jessica Chastain gives a solid performance throughout, and she sells that final scene without any dialogue like a true actress should. Still, despite this being a realistic account of a historical event, it does, at times, seem to be a bit Hollywood-ized. There's one scene where someone asks Maya "Who are you supposed to be?," and she answers with "I'm the motherf**ker who runs this place." That doesn't sound like a realistic response; it sounds more like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LnRMsXFHa4. And...man, how many films need to be more than two-and-a-half hours nowadays? I understand that this story is set during an eight-year period, but there are some moments that did not need to be stretched out at all, especially during the middle section of the film. Either fill those minutes with some fascinating information, or just make it shorter. Simple as that. It just felt too repetitive as if they were discussing the same dilemma over and over again. {ANOTHER SIDE-NOTE: May I draw your attention to something that managed to tell a heartbreaking story that spanned five decades in under five minutes?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh7kVYYBNyk} So overall, this is yet ANOTHER Oscar-nominated film that I consider to be a mixed bag, though I do feel more optimistic about this one because it is well-crafted filmmaking, and, as it is intended, it will make you question your morality as you walk out of the theater. I'd say give it a go as a one-time viewing, and maybe you'll like it more than I did. Who knows? Just how 'miserable' are you?
Wait, that's another film. Don't mind me.
Until next time,
MEOW!
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