"Zero Dark Thirty" - directed by Kathryn Bigelow
I had the sneaking suspicion that the Academy had messed up in not nominating Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director this year.
I'm a huge Bigelow fan and have been ever since "Near Dark".
As I hadn't seen "Zero Dark Thirty" when the nominations were announced I mostly kept my uninformed opinions to myself.
Now that I have seen it I feel no need to continue biting my tongue.
So- yes.
Yes, they did screw up.
Royally.
Half the problem with having up to ten Best Picture nominations and only five for Best Director is that this unbalanced nominating happens.
However it can be mitigated against somewhat by at least picking the actual 'best' five.
Not to take anything away from the excellent work they've done but put up against Spielberg ("Lincoln"), David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook") and Ang Li ("Life of Pi") Bigelow's directing of "Zero Dark Thirty" is more worthy of recognition.
I watched "The Hurt Locker" again recently to get the Bigelow juices flowing and as good as her Oscar winning work on that movie was this one is even better.
This movie has been on the way for some time having been announced around the time that Bigelow made history as the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar in 2010.
The subject matter and general plot will be familiar to most people.
This fact alone stacks the odds against the filmmakers.
Imagine trying to make what is ostensibly a procedural thriller when your entire audience knows exactly who did it and what happens in the end.
Not only do Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal ("The Hurt Locker") succeed in making the climax truly heartpoundingly exciting as the Seal team swarms into the compound in which Bin Laden is hiding but they manage to make the preceding two hours similarly so.
If that isn't great directing I don't know what is.
Bigelow's command of material such as this is evident and she keeps a tight reign on everything.
The action hops all over the map over an eight year period but I didn't feel lost or confused once.
By centering the action around determined CIA officer Maya (Jessica Chastain) we have a focal point that keeps things clear for us.
Chastain might seem an odd choice with her pale skin and slight frame but any doubts that she has the strength or power to deliver are put to rest very quickly.
Long before she has stood up to her boss Joseph (Kyle Chandler) in a smile enducingly ballsy way about half way through the movie we are already aware of how determined and strong willed Maya is.
Her determination to get Bin Laden is not explained.
She could have lost loved ones in the Trade Center attacks or maybe she is just fiercely patriotic - we don't know.
Apparently Maya is based on a real woman whose identity is understandably secret.
Her colleagues do suggest that the performance captures her spirit very well.
Chastain has a Best Actress nomination this year and it is fully deserved.
She is all over this movie.
Beginning with audio from 9/11 and fading into a very unpleasant torture sequence that has caused quite some controversy the film reveals a Maya who is new to the job and unused to the realities of front line interrogation techniques. She adapts very quickly.
There is some debate over the accuracy of events portrayed here but in all honesty this is a film and I'll judge it purely as such.
The torture is a clever place to start as it confronts us immediately with some moral questions.
Bigelow and Boal are not making an 'America, Hell Yeah' movie here.
With shots in the background of Obama on tv denying that torture is used and lead torture inflicter Dan (Jason Clarke) shown first in a disheveled state but later in an immaculate Washington DC friendly shirt and tie it makes the very clear point that getting dirty is just part of the realities of counter terrorism.
'Nice' men in smart suits are not necessarily as clean as we might assume.
For me the biggest question raised is clearly- is it worth it?
There is no doubt that the movie shows the results of the torture sessions leading to information and other suspects that at least in some way leads to the final scene in the Pakistan compound.
As I watched I wondered how else this could have been achieved.
The al-Qeada organisation is populated with people driven by ideals - not money.
Cash rewards might work with associates but not we are told with members of the terrorist group.
Moral ambiguity and controversy aside there is no doubt that this film functions supremely well as a suspenseful thriller.
Several terrorist bombings are shown and the skill with which Bigelow portrayed these sorts of things in "The Hurt Locker" serves this one well too.
The workings of the CIA and its agents both behind the scenes and on the frontlines are revealed in incredible detail.
There is no wonder that parties on all sides wondered where some of the information came from and who sanctioned it.
Some said that the movie was designed as a re-election tool for President Obama (ridiculous as he is barely mentioned).
Others questioned the producers sources because the equipment, tactics and events portrayed are too close to reality.
Regardless- "Zero Dark Thirty" is masterclass for anyone contemplating any sort of military or police procedural.
On a related note- how about giving Bigelow and Boal the next Bourne movie?
I can't begin to imagine how good the end result could be.
If nothing else this film is worth the ticket price for the final half hour which portrays in stunning detail the raid that claimed Osama Bin Laden's life.
This is edge of your seat stuff.
From the second that the stealth choppers take off this sequence is stellar.
Alexandre Deplat's excellent score aids in ramping the tension up as the helicopter's approach the compound but as soon as the SEAL team is on the ground Bigelow smartly ditches all music and this brilliant sequence is played out with just dialogue and sound effects (and some long, very effective silent periods)
The script was written and filming set to start when news broke that Bin Laden had been killed so Boal and Bigelow stopped work and began a re-write.
The original reportedly ended with an unsuccessful attempt to get Bin Laden in the Tora Bora region.
This was a major conflict with local Afghan forces combining with US, British and German special forces to attack the mountain caves in which he was suspected of hiding.
No doubt it would have been a suitable climax but the one that real life presented to Bigelow is surely far more satisfying even just in terms of narrative conclusion.
The attack on the compound is one of the best sequences that I have seen in recent years.
It is merely only one in a movie filled with numerous examples of a fantastic director at the peak (so far) of her considerable powers.
One of the best films of the last twelve months without a doubt.
Awesomely, amazingly great.
I'm a huge Bigelow fan and have been ever since "Near Dark".
As I hadn't seen "Zero Dark Thirty" when the nominations were announced I mostly kept my uninformed opinions to myself.
Now that I have seen it I feel no need to continue biting my tongue.
So- yes.
Yes, they did screw up.
Royally.
Half the problem with having up to ten Best Picture nominations and only five for Best Director is that this unbalanced nominating happens.
However it can be mitigated against somewhat by at least picking the actual 'best' five.
Not to take anything away from the excellent work they've done but put up against Spielberg ("Lincoln"), David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook") and Ang Li ("Life of Pi") Bigelow's directing of "Zero Dark Thirty" is more worthy of recognition.
I watched "The Hurt Locker" again recently to get the Bigelow juices flowing and as good as her Oscar winning work on that movie was this one is even better.
This movie has been on the way for some time having been announced around the time that Bigelow made history as the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar in 2010.
The subject matter and general plot will be familiar to most people.
This fact alone stacks the odds against the filmmakers.
Imagine trying to make what is ostensibly a procedural thriller when your entire audience knows exactly who did it and what happens in the end.
Not only do Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal ("The Hurt Locker") succeed in making the climax truly heartpoundingly exciting as the Seal team swarms into the compound in which Bin Laden is hiding but they manage to make the preceding two hours similarly so.
If that isn't great directing I don't know what is.
Bigelow's command of material such as this is evident and she keeps a tight reign on everything.
The action hops all over the map over an eight year period but I didn't feel lost or confused once.
By centering the action around determined CIA officer Maya (Jessica Chastain) we have a focal point that keeps things clear for us.
 |
| Jessica Chastain as Maya |
Long before she has stood up to her boss Joseph (Kyle Chandler) in a smile enducingly ballsy way about half way through the movie we are already aware of how determined and strong willed Maya is.
Her determination to get Bin Laden is not explained.
She could have lost loved ones in the Trade Center attacks or maybe she is just fiercely patriotic - we don't know.
Apparently Maya is based on a real woman whose identity is understandably secret.
Her colleagues do suggest that the performance captures her spirit very well.
Chastain has a Best Actress nomination this year and it is fully deserved.
She is all over this movie.
Beginning with audio from 9/11 and fading into a very unpleasant torture sequence that has caused quite some controversy the film reveals a Maya who is new to the job and unused to the realities of front line interrogation techniques. She adapts very quickly.
There is some debate over the accuracy of events portrayed here but in all honesty this is a film and I'll judge it purely as such.
The torture is a clever place to start as it confronts us immediately with some moral questions.
Bigelow and Boal are not making an 'America, Hell Yeah' movie here.
With shots in the background of Obama on tv denying that torture is used and lead torture inflicter Dan (Jason Clarke) shown first in a disheveled state but later in an immaculate Washington DC friendly shirt and tie it makes the very clear point that getting dirty is just part of the realities of counter terrorism.
'Nice' men in smart suits are not necessarily as clean as we might assume.
For me the biggest question raised is clearly- is it worth it?
There is no doubt that the movie shows the results of the torture sessions leading to information and other suspects that at least in some way leads to the final scene in the Pakistan compound.
As I watched I wondered how else this could have been achieved.
The al-Qeada organisation is populated with people driven by ideals - not money.
Cash rewards might work with associates but not we are told with members of the terrorist group.
Moral ambiguity and controversy aside there is no doubt that this film functions supremely well as a suspenseful thriller.
 |
| Kyle Chandler as Joseph (left) and Jason Clarke as Dan (right) |
The workings of the CIA and its agents both behind the scenes and on the frontlines are revealed in incredible detail.
There is no wonder that parties on all sides wondered where some of the information came from and who sanctioned it.
Some said that the movie was designed as a re-election tool for President Obama (ridiculous as he is barely mentioned).
Others questioned the producers sources because the equipment, tactics and events portrayed are too close to reality.
Regardless- "Zero Dark Thirty" is masterclass for anyone contemplating any sort of military or police procedural.
On a related note- how about giving Bigelow and Boal the next Bourne movie?
I can't begin to imagine how good the end result could be.
 |
| Chris Pratt and Joel Edgerton as SEAL team members |
This is edge of your seat stuff.
From the second that the stealth choppers take off this sequence is stellar.
Alexandre Deplat's excellent score aids in ramping the tension up as the helicopter's approach the compound but as soon as the SEAL team is on the ground Bigelow smartly ditches all music and this brilliant sequence is played out with just dialogue and sound effects (and some long, very effective silent periods)
The script was written and filming set to start when news broke that Bin Laden had been killed so Boal and Bigelow stopped work and began a re-write.
The original reportedly ended with an unsuccessful attempt to get Bin Laden in the Tora Bora region.
This was a major conflict with local Afghan forces combining with US, British and German special forces to attack the mountain caves in which he was suspected of hiding.
No doubt it would have been a suitable climax but the one that real life presented to Bigelow is surely far more satisfying even just in terms of narrative conclusion.
The attack on the compound is one of the best sequences that I have seen in recent years.
It is merely only one in a movie filled with numerous examples of a fantastic director at the peak (so far) of her considerable powers.
One of the best films of the last twelve months without a doubt.
Awesomely, amazingly great.
| Rated | M for some gritty war violence and profanity |
| Running Time: | 157 minutes (2hr 30mins without end credits) |
| Starring: |
| Jessica Chastain | --- Maya |
| Jason Clarke | --- Dan |
| Kyle Chandler | --- Joseph Bradley |
| Reda Kateb | --- Ammar |
| Jennifer Ehle | --- Jessica |
| Harold Perrineau | --- Jack |
| Jeremy Strong | --- Thomas |
| J.J Kandel | --- J.J |
| Mark Strong | --- George |
| Edgar Ramirez | --- Larry from Ground Branch |
| Joel Edgerton | --- Patrick |
| Chris Pratt | --- Justin |
| Taylor Kinney | --- Jared |
| Mark Duplass | --- Steve |
| James Gandolfini | --- C.I.A Director |
| Stephen Dillane | --- National Security Advisor |
| Mark Valley | --- C130 pilot |
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