Zero Dark Thirty is my best picture this year.
It is an unflinching film that puts forth the efforts of
nameless people against the war on terror.
For a film that is very “of the moment” it is intricately detailed and exceptionally well made.
Zero Dark Thirty presented events as it is. No commentary, no director point of
view. It is troubling and very
uncomfortable to sit through but that is what I see a Best Picture film should
do. It should place a mirror to society
in order to push the viewer to think and let them see where they stand. It is precisely the presentation of the moral
ambiguities in this film that I have come to really appreciate it. Because I thought it respected
me as a viewer by not “dumbing it down” by leading me into a point of view. I don't want to be preached to in a movie. Instead, it allowed me to form my own conclusions. The torture scenes are troubling and I don’t
think anyone I knew who saw the movie thought that the film “glorified” torture
as its detractors have stated. In fact,
watching those scenes would just re-iterate how appalling and inhumane it was. It is unfortunate that this existed as part
of a former administration’s policy but we also have to be brave enough to face
the truth.
The events highlighted in the scenes where the agents
were sifting through data and interrogation footage are mostly a slow
burn. But I thought that the pace just
emphasizes the almost impossible task and constant frustration of this
mission. These scenes are juxtaposed
with real life events such as the London bombings and the bombing of the
Marriot Hotel which reminds the audience of how much is at stake in this
hunt. The raid sequence at the end puts
the viewer on the ground with the SEAL team and provides the most nerve wracking
and edge of your seat anxiety inducing sequence I’ve seen in a film. Shot in night vision goggles, it feels so
real. So raw. But pure brilliance in filmmaking!
Throughout the film, we the audience see the story
through Maya. She’s the lone CIA agent
whose instincts direct her to follow her lead to find Bin Laden through his
courier, Abu Ahmed. She is the strongest
female lead among all the characters of the Best Actress nominees this year. It didn’t bother me that she didn’t have a
backstory. Jessica Chastain who played
Maya with an all-consuming tenacity is outstanding in this role. She is my Best Actress this year. She developed from a CIA newbie to a seasoned interrogator who was able to read into what the detainees weren't telling them. Her portrayal is very subtle, less ego-driven
and less flashy so that when she explodes in the middle of the film towards her
boss, Bradley (Kyle Chandler), you are taken aback with the bottled frustration
she releases. It’s a performance that
makes the viewer work had to pay attention at the nuances. It draws the viewer in and if you miss it,
too bad because it’s all there......in her eyes, forrow of her brows and hunch of her shoulders. Detailed, determined and confident.
I think it’s more difficult to pull off a subtle performance convincingly
and she did it here exceptionally well.
I know the film will not win Best Picture because of the “torture controversy”. Heck, Kathryn Bigelow (my Best Director pick) wasn’t even nominated! The Oscars just don’t like controversial films. Oscar pundits have also stated that Chastain’s shot for Best Actress might now be a long shot because of this. Who knows until later tonight. All I know is, this is a film that my friends and I keep talking about even weeks after we’ve seen it. It fosters a good discussion. I feel that maybe as years go on, it will be remembered as a great film or maybe an important one. The last scene when Maya finally shows her release and cries, is for me, the most indelible image from any film this year. It’s powerful and haunting.
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