Zero Dark Thirty (R)

On her way to becoming the first woman to win the 2009 Academy Award for ‘Best Director,’ Kathryn Bigelow has enjoyed a beguiling three-decade career in film. She has directed a few cult classics, like cheesy crime/surfing Keanu Reeves vehicle “Point Break” (1991), the gory Western-style horror of 1987 vampire flick “Near Dark” (which netted her the Saturn Award for ‘Best Director,’ making her the first woman to achieve that as well), and the commercially-disastrous, flawed-but-ambitious pseudo-cyberpunk thriller, “Strange Days” (1995). The success of her adrenal 2008 character study “The Hurt Locker” (which nabbed ‘Best Picture’ in addition to ‘Best Director’) proved that fans of Bigelow’s earlier, less-heralded films were onto something. In a similar vein, her latest effort is the highly-anticipated and controversial dramatization of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, “Zero Dark Thirty.”

Regardless of one’s nationality or political affiliation, if you can separate the filmmaking from its explosive content, it is undeniable that “Zero Dark Thirty” is a phenomenally well-crafted film that is utterly gripping and well-acted throughout.

We open with our central character, CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain) on her first deployment to the Middle East. At secret detention center, she is involved in the interrogation of the financier for a Saudi terrorist cell. Although unable the intelligence necessary to stop terrorist attacks around the world, Maya eventually unearths the codename of a courier who may be working directly with Osama bin Laden.

After years of dead leads and false starts, and a few suicide bombings that hit close to home, Maya eventually gets a break and locates the courier, which eventually leads her to the now-infamous Abbottabad, Pakistan compound housing Osama bin Laden. Maya must then navigate the labyrinthine chain of command in order to sell her superiors (and their superiors, et cetera) on her belief that Osama, and not some lesser target, resides at the compound. Finally, we witness the dynamic raid on the compound, resulting in the death of Osama bin Laden and the completion of Maya’s mission.

It is evident within the opening seconds, before we even see any images, that Kathryn Bigelow is pulling no punches with this film, as we hear chilling 9-1-1 calls from the planes and Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. The opening scenes also involve the brutal torture of a detainee, which is difficult to watch regardless of the stakes. Fortunately, Bigelow isn’t interested in offering any judgment as to the morality of this “enhanced interrogation,” just as she shies away from overtly condemning acts of terrorism.

Everything is presented as accurately and factually as possible under the circumstances, and this approach works particularly well in selling the inescapable ambiguity and attrition of such conflicts. The climactic scenes of the raid – while certainly far from gory or exploitative by the standards of modern cinema – are equally harrowing and suspenseful, despite their foregone conclusion. While the emotional distance Bigelow employs may leave some viewers feeling less invested in the plot, especially during the slower intelligence-gathering second act, it seems to be the most reasonable, evenhanded approach to this kind of subject matter.

Despite the various controversies the film has generated among particular camps, the material has clearly been handled with great respect and deliberation.

The acting is also top-notch, with the real star being Jessica Chastain, who has garnered a well-deserved Academy Award nomination for her performance. She brings Maya from a slightly-squeamish but driven rookie to a devoted veteran of the CIA, with a steely toughness when challenges arise, and just enough fire to get things done.

Peripheral characters come and go as necessary, but the rest of the expansive ensemble cast certainly rise to the quality of Chastain’s performance. Standouts on that score include Mark Strong as a fiery CIA section chief, Jennifer Ehle as Maya’s closest coworker, and Reda Kateb as tortured detainee Ammar.

On balance, “Zero Dark Thirty” is a gripping, carefully-crafted film that is worth watching for a fine central performance, as well as its evenhanded retelling of a dramatic and controversial moment in history. If you can stomach the gritty details and set aside any ideological prejudice in order to approach the film on its own terms, you’ll likely be carried away by its powerful narrative.

by – Demian Morisroe