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Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jason Clarke
Let's get the tough stuff out of the way right away. I don't feel that Zero Dark Thirty is "pro torture" on any level. Bigelow presents torture as an element of what transpired in the CIA's search for Bin Laden. Our protagonist never appears to be completely comfortable with the process, and while she does receive a name through this process there is no evidence that she would not have received this information otherwise. I also find irony in the fact that all the controversy surrounds the CIA's interrogation technique and not the invasion of a home where people are shot in the back, and where Bin Laden may or may not be.
While I did not love this movie as much as some have, I did enjoy it a lot and feel overall it is a well above average film. The performances are very good across the board. Clarke and Chastain are the standouts. Again I feel that overall the excellence of Chastain's performance is being overstated, she is none the less giving an above average performance. My problem with the film lies entirely in the pacing of the first half. This is a procedural and we are given lots of important information through the first half, but for me it felt a little slow getting there. I enjoy slow and contemplative, if I am getting a lot of character development in the process. Here however I feel the characters, while not uninteresting, are slightly under developed.
The final third of this film is the highlight for me. Watching Chastain's intensity ramp up as she gets closer and closer to her goal was immensely entertaining. When we are introduced to Seal Team Six the intensity steps up another notch as we know we are getting closer to our goal. There are also some nice lighthearted moments as Chastain's character interacts with the Seals. Finally we get our climactic scene and it is the best action that I have seen in a theater since I can remember. Our final shot is well earned, and the best ending to any movie in 2012. Bigelow once again has more than proven herself in a male dominated genre. I look forward to seeing whatever she may do next.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jason Clarke
Let's get the tough stuff out of the way right away. I don't feel that Zero Dark Thirty is "pro torture" on any level. Bigelow presents torture as an element of what transpired in the CIA's search for Bin Laden. Our protagonist never appears to be completely comfortable with the process, and while she does receive a name through this process there is no evidence that she would not have received this information otherwise. I also find irony in the fact that all the controversy surrounds the CIA's interrogation technique and not the invasion of a home where people are shot in the back, and where Bin Laden may or may not be.
While I did not love this movie as much as some have, I did enjoy it a lot and feel overall it is a well above average film. The performances are very good across the board. Clarke and Chastain are the standouts. Again I feel that overall the excellence of Chastain's performance is being overstated, she is none the less giving an above average performance. My problem with the film lies entirely in the pacing of the first half. This is a procedural and we are given lots of important information through the first half, but for me it felt a little slow getting there. I enjoy slow and contemplative, if I am getting a lot of character development in the process. Here however I feel the characters, while not uninteresting, are slightly under developed.
The final third of this film is the highlight for me. Watching Chastain's intensity ramp up as she gets closer and closer to her goal was immensely entertaining. When we are introduced to Seal Team Six the intensity steps up another notch as we know we are getting closer to our goal. There are also some nice lighthearted moments as Chastain's character interacts with the Seals. Finally we get our climactic scene and it is the best action that I have seen in a theater since I can remember. Our final shot is well earned, and the best ending to any movie in 2012. Bigelow once again has more than proven herself in a male dominated genre. I look forward to seeing whatever she may do next.