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Rating of
3/4
"Zero Dark Thirty" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 11/12/2013
Zero Dark Thirty is the true life story centred around the obsessive CIA analyst who was most responsible for locating Osama Bin Laden. Katheryn Bigelow's Oscar winner is very much like a combination of her previous film The Hurt Locker and The Wire. The bulk of the film is made up of cold-war style spy-duggery as telephones are tapped and suspects trailed to the door of America's most wanted. In fact she does not shy away from the dubious tactics employed by the US in extracting information from its persons of interest, although one would have to say that although the film does not condone these actions, it falls short of condemning them as well. This information gathering section of the film can feel a little dry and over long because of the lack of human drama, but it's all leading up …
Rating of
2/4
The ending is not worth the wait.
memento_mori - wrote on 08/31/2013
What exactly is so great about this again?
Oh yeah, they got Osama in the end.
First of all, Zero Dark Thirty is not about the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden. It's about empty conversations and atrocious torture scenes.
Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Directing) directed one of my favorite films of 2009, the Hurt Locker. Filled with stunning acting and direction, an airtight script and a general interesting atmosphere, it was much more superior to her follow-up.
In search of information about the making of the film, I came across the fact that Bin Laden was shot and killed during the making of Zero Dark Thirty. And it really shows.
The pacing is completely off by miles. While other true stories had me hooked from beginning to end and had me interested, I …
Rating of
4/4
Zero Dark Thirty
worleyjamers - wrote on 06/29/2013
An important film. Subtly brilliant and perfectly thrilling, Zero Dark Thirty is beautifully paced; at a near 3 hour running time, the film moves along nicely, never dragging. Mark Boal wrote a terrific script; it's dense and might include a little too much information, but I felt like that gave the film another level of authenticity. The performances are flawless. Jessica Chastain is incredible; she plays the character wonderfully and her performance is worthy of every praise it's getting. The supporting cast is perfect as well, Jason Clarke stood out to me. Kathryn Bigelow's direction is what really makes this film special though. Her vision and attention to detail is admirable and it truly elevates the experience. The film builds to a thrilling ending that ranks among the most intense …
Rating of
3.5/4
Another Good Thriller from Bigelow
Rod - wrote on 05/11/2013
A decade-long man hunt of the CIA finally ended on May of 2011. A story of determination and hard work of a woman, Maya (Jessica Chastain), to take down Al- Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.
***
I was really excited to watch this film, then it did not disappoint me by any way. Jessica Chastain and the rest of the cast did perform well. Kathryn Bigelow never failed to excite me, I really admire how she does effective thrillers, just like The Hurt Locker. What was really spectacular was that even if we all know the ending, what would happen to it, it still gave me kicks on the nerve. Surprised on bombings. The drama was there, the torturing scenes are believable. Amazing, a great watch! I'm glad that it received some recognitions. I was just curious, why Kathryn Bigelow did not …
Rating of
3.5/4
Dark brooding riveting thriller
sreekirch - wrote on 03/21/2013
Bigelow's potrayal of greatest man hunt in the history of world, is dramatic valor. Chastain takes the lead role as Maya the CIA operative whose only mission is to f**k up UBL. The 10 year long mission to bring an end to the greatest terror any mankind feared is task uphill and Bigelow does it with prowess and finesse. The grand scenario that sets up in the final 45 minutes is thrilling to the best. The sheer silence without a hunch of music in the impulsive climax is Bigelow's beauty in direction. The various ideas of torture like dog belt, sleeping in a box and water droll in face is sheer torture. No reluctance seen anywhere in the writing. The Hurt Locker team is back with another Oscar wonder!
After attack of WTC, by Al Qaeda, US begins a strategy to pull the man out of the …
Rating of
3/4
Ambiguous Title, But Good Movie
Nick - wrote on 01/15/2013
Zero Dark Thirty is advertised and perceived by the average movie goer as a movie more about Seal Team 6 and their raid on the Pakistan compound where Bin Laden was at. But in reality, this movie is mostly about all the events and intelligence gathered leading up to the raid, with the raid only being the last 20 minutes of the movie. So for all of you that wish to see an action flick, this is not for you. But for those of you that are aware that this movie requires your attention to follow the story from beginning to end, you will enjoy it. I found the movie enjoyable, but quickly compared it to another movie, Argo, which was much, much better. I also think the title for this film was poorly chose and should have been called something like "The Path to Bin Laden", rather than a …
Rating of
3/4
Zero Dark Thirty review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 01/14/2013
Intellectual, methodical, well-acted but a slow burner. Maya (Jessica Chastain) is a CIA officer dedicated to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Realistic and very detailed with regards to the dates, locations and names. A typical slow-burner though the build-up was good. Much like in the league of Argo in terms of pace and premise politically.
The Hurt Locker was more suspenseful and entertaining though this reviewer predicts many accolades for its production and casting. Soundtrack and direction were appropriate, if only the leads were engaging. Zero Dark Thirty is about dedication and persistence, and finding the facts to prevent terrorism. Great idea and plot, execution were superb, as a movie (film medium) it was worth viewing.
Rating of
3.5/4
The Dark Before the Dawn
Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/12/2013
Although there is action to be found in Zero Dark Thirty, those looking for a typical action film aren't going to find it here. What we have is a methodical look into the mind of Maya, a CIA agent who spends the better part of a decade hunting down notorious terrorist Osama bin Laden. The story plays out like a game of chess - every move is calculated until one side makes a mistake. Lives are lost, people die but in the end, she gets her man.
Jessica Chastain has been getting a lot of attention for her portrayal of the rather hard-nosed and matter-of-fact CIA agent. That attention is rightfully deserved. Chastain manages to portray Maya as a woman on a mission - at times downright blunt and to-the-point, but isn't above showing her vulnerability during a very emotional and turbulent …
Rating of
3.5/4
If you lie, I hurt you
MikeInMotion - wrote on 01/07/2013
When everyone heard that Osama bin Laden had been killed in 2011, the U.S. breathed a huge sigh of relief. We were finally able to find the man responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent American citizens after a decade-long manhunt. At the same time, Kathryn Bigelow, who was just coming off the huge Academy Award success of The Hurt Locker, was shooting a film documenting the entire journey. This was met with mixed reception, as some believed it might be too political and wouldn’t do justice to such an important story. They are wrong on both accounts. This film isn’t political, nor does it gloss over or sugarcoat any of the vital details of this operation. Kathryn Bigelow has crafted a masterpiece of a film that slowly builds tension over the 157 minute run-time, erupting …
Rating of
3.5/4
Review: Zero Dark Thirty
MikePA - wrote on 01/06/2013
Screenwriter Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow collaborate once again for Zero Dark Thirty, a film that tells the story of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Their ambitious efforts in The Hurt Locker is more impressive then Zero Dark Thirty, but they still deliver the high-level intensity and sharp storytelling that made their previous film so damn exciting.
While the filmmakers pack the film with lots of suspense and action, Zero Dark Thirty is basically a character study on Maya, a strong, positive woman who just wants to find and kill Osama bin Laden. Maya is one hell of a character, and Jessica Chastain's Oscar-worthy performance successfully carries the movie and keeps it moving. Boal's script is so good and he gives Jessica Chastain many moments to shine. As we learn more …
