Zero Dark Thirty Review: Torture that works

Zero Dark Thirty 2012 Review

One thing I can tell you about the Zero dark thirty film is … it’s for people who can endure difficult images. Zero dark thirty follows the career of CIA operative: Maya. Who dedicated her entire life for one purpose and one purpose only. Find the number one terrorist on the planet: Osama Bin Laden. 

Maya

From the beginning of the movie we can see the raw torture that our heroes (Jason Clarke) inflict upon the Al Qaeda prisoners. At this point we are introduced to the shy, quite and closed Maya (Jessica Chastain). Together we the viewers and Maya as the green rookie try to endure the vivid torture scene that burst from the screen in the beginning of the movie. Of course there is one difference between us the viewers and the "Killer" Maya (as she was described by her Colleagues in Washington). Zero Dark Thirty's Maya is a real killer at what she does and we the viewers are simple couch potatoes.


Maya lost a lot of friends during the never ending chase for the number one terrorist but she never gave up, she stood her ground believing the leads she had. Even when her boss’s didn’t believe in her but still they couldn't stop her and some even feared her. 

Maya is the only important character in the movie, Zero Dark thirty cast appear and disappear during the movie without any significant importance, sure there are great actors in Zero Dark Thirty cast with a lot of familiar faces (James Gandolfini, Joel Edgerton, ... even Scott Adkins was in Zero Dark Thirty) but none of them impact the film significantly like Maya's character does.

Zero dark thirty is a long movie but it doesn't feel like it. The quiet and pastoral environment in the scenes that preceded the loss of life in the bombings was so calm that nobody could see them coming. The story telling is fluent and intriguing at the same time. There weren't any unnecessary scenes that you could say "this should have been cut off" and that is why the final product came out as a 2 and a half hour exiting experience.  

Kathryn Bigelow managed to take Zero Dark Thirty and turn it to something bigger than it was supposed to be (Just like she did with The Hurt Locker). I have seen a similar movie to Zero Dark Thirty - Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden a couple of weeks ago. While Seal team six was a simpler TV movie that was made for one purpose only - Obama's election campaign, Zero Dark thirty was made to tell more or less the true story in detail, no political bullshit and no hidden agendas. That is why Zero Dark Thirty turned to be such a better viewing experience.

In conclusion, human rights groups need to avoid watching the movie - Zero dark thirty; it can turn their stomach inside out, no matter what they just won’t get Zero Dark Thirty's meaning. So if you don’t count yourself as a peace loving anarchist, this cool movie is for you. You don’t even have to count yourself as a fanatic patriot to watch Zero Dark Thirty. 

photo credit: Pink Cow Photography via photopin cc

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About Sasha Shapiro

Sasha is the founder and editor of Cool Reviews Rule. He is very passionate about Movies, TV Shows and some Books. His favorite genres are: Action, Fantasy, History, Horror, Sci-fi and Adventure.
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