Two years after the events of 9/11, CIA officer Maya (Jessica Chastain) has been stationed at the U.S. embassy in Pakistan. While there, she oversees the interrogation of detainees who are being tortured in an attempt to get valuable information about the location of Osama bin Laden and/or those closest to him. After getting what she believes to be a major lead, Maya begins a pursuit of bin Laden's closest circle of colleagues in a near obsessive effort to finally find him and take him down.
Now, notice, that's not a very thick description, and I really only mentioned one character (well, two, if we count bin Laden, but, for the purposes of this review, we won't). That's because...well, that's really it. There is a supporting cast, and a rather large one at that, but they almost constantly drift in and out of the story. They have their arcs, and then they're gone. It really is, at its core, the Maya story. She's the driving force that moves the story along. Other people may help her or give her a boost, but, at the end of the day, she makes stuff happen. And, with essentially the weight of an entire two-and-a-half hour movie on her shoulders, Jessica Chastain does a very commendable job of keeping the viewer interested and making you WANT to go on this journey with her. You definitely get invested in everything she's doing. As for the supporting cast, like I said, they're there. They serve their purpose and leave. There really isn't a whole lot to talk about, believe me.
Now, if there is something helping Chastain keep the audience's attention, it's the script...for the most part. This is a script that suffers from just a bit too much padding. There are some sequences in here where you just wonder why they're there and why they're getting so much attention, while having such little relevance to the plot. Luckily, it doesn't happen too often, but it's still a problem, and makes the given run-time for the movie a bit questionable. But, the script is still solid from beginning to end.
The best part of this film for me was the final action sequence. I don't think I'm spoiling anything when I say that the climax occurs at the compound where Osama bin Laden was staying when he got killed. They spend a good 30 or 40 minutes at this place, and it stays very interesting the whole way through. I was completely enthralled all the way through, and, for that, I thank the cinematographers, for making it one of the most visually compelling action sequences I've seen in a while, and that's AFTER an entire week getting reacquainted with Schwarzenegger movies.
I have a strange feeling Zero Dark Thirty is gonna end up becoming one of those American history films that they end up showing in high schools when the history teacher is too lazy to teach. You know, things like Glory or Amistad, which schools use to showcase an important point in America's history. I'm not saying I want it to happen, I'm saying that's the movie it feels like. It already warranted 5 Oscar nominations, which I'm pretty sure only happened BECAUSE it's a showcase of American history. This is not Oscar material. Is it an entertaining flick? Absolutely, but it really doesn't warrant repeat viewings. It's the kind of movie you see just to say you saw it. It really doesn't have that lasting effect like so many other Oscar nominees this year. That said, it's still a fascinating look into the events it's trying to portray, and, especially if you're American, you might as well just check it out just to say that you did. Another piece of US history under your belt, essentially. That's all I will ever remember this movie for, and that's all it deserves to be remembered for. Thanks for reading!
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