Film Review: Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty   6/10

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton
Plot: a film following the decade long hunt for Osama bin Laden, spanning from 2001 to 2011.

The Oscar season proved how diverse a year 2012 to 2013 had been in film; boasting historical epics, disaster dramas, a musical and book adaptations. Most notably however, a thriller centring around the hunt for Osama Bin Laden was nominated for Best Picture… created by a female director.

Kathryn Bigelow steers a very ambitious film here, proving how female directors can be just as diverse, ambitious and dark as their male counterparts. The film skips through the intensive decade-long investigation, picking out key events and interrogations to fill us in on those main figures involved. Most of all, the film feels incredibly real, with a more documentary edge to it, rather than a sugar-coated Hollywood thriller. In turn, this successfully amplifies the scenes of intense interrogation, as well as some gritty policing – much of this is thanks to the very morbid cinematography and realistic camera-work. Also, whilst the trailer attempts to boast the films action, it is wrong to say this is an action film. The use of hand-held cameras, lack of soundtrack and amplified sounds work eerily well, making the explosions all the more random and shocking. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Bigelow has put her own, fresh stamp on action, proving that Michael Bay-styled (Transfomers) action, isn't always the best way.

Jessica Chastain fronts a cast of mostly unknown actors and actresses here; thankfully, it completely assists the sense of realism (with no famous stars to typecast to other roles!) Chastain, having shone in The Help, gets immersed into the case, completely unafraid of looking rather bleak during the morbid moments in the case. Similarly, Chastain deals with moments of intense anger and authority excellently.

Where the film seems to falter is in its pacing; whilst the case is incredibly engaging and its length unknown to those involved at the time, the film has little rhythm or drive. Unfortunately, this makes the film feel a little tedious during the second act, especially as the world already knows how this film ends.

In Conclusion: Bigelow presents an incredibly engaging and realistic portrayal of such a famous case. She has been ruthless and unafraid to get down and dirty and whilst the pacing falters, its understated finale is incredibly gripping and makes you forget its previous timing problems.