'ZERO DARK THIRTY'

'ZEO DARK THIRTY' (R) (3 1/2 STARS)

Written by Mark Boal
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Actors: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Chris Pratt, James Gandolfini, Terry Kinney, Jennifer Ehle, Kyle Chandler.

"Zero Dark Thirty", Kathryn Bigelow's follow up to her Academy Award winning Best Picture "The Hurt Locker", is coming out with a lot of hype attached to it. I wish Hollywood and critics would calm down and stop over hyping a movie when you under hype and neglect wonderful movies like "Silver Linings Playbook". Like me, movie goers will come in expecting the best movie ever made. That is unfair to the movie and the audience for some might come out a tad dissapointed even though "Zero Dark Thirty" is a very great movie. This is a very well made, thrilling and very well acted movie and Bigelow's direction is superb. I just don't think it is the best movie I have seen this year and is not as great as the hype.

You know that this is the movie about the tracking down and assassination of Ossama Bin Laden. I will not spoil the movie's pristine and very detailed telling of all the moves or how the mission was completed step by step. It is simply a movie that does a wonderful job of taking you on a journey and then keeping you on the edge of your seat during the final half hour. This is not a movie where you are asked to like any of the characters. It is not a movie that will make you laugh or cry or feel deep emotion. It is a great exercise in showing us the detailed planning, obstacles and execution of the mission of finding and killing Bin Laden.

I was surprised though by the movie focusing first and foremost on the woman C.I.A. agent who sticks her neck out directing this mission, played by one of our best new actresses Jessica Chastain. Her name is Maya and she is a very smart, strong and tough woman who I absolutely loved following. Bigelow's last movie "The Hurt Locker", which I found a tad over rated and not Best Picture material, was from a male's perspective. I liked this movie much better because I love strong female characters and I am very sad that strong female characters are not written half as much as male ones are these days. Finally a story focusing on a mission that will be carried out in the end by male Navy Seals takes time developing this fascinating female character Maya.

Jessica Chastain is amazing here in a tough role that requires her to be tough but also show some emotion. Maya's job is extremely hard and frustrating and I love how her determination is the main reason this mission is successful. She has to go in and sell to a room full of powerful men why this woman has the right answers. If the movie dropped Maya and focused on the men this would be uninteresting to me and would turn into something dull and cheesy like this year's earlier "Act Of Valor". Director Kathryn Bigelow is the perfect director to drive this movie because she wants to show us the frustration, hard work and chances Maya has to take building up to a powerful final shot.

The direction here is excellent and the movie will never bore you but don't expect a edge of your seat type thriller until the final half hour. Though there are two middle scenes that jolted me and were very suspenseful. One great scene deals with another female operative that hits you with it's perfect set up and final jolt. If you love to see the nuts and bolts, roadblocks and process of a mission like this depicted you will not be dissapointed. If you are expecting a major thrill ride there is a lot of talk and you might feel a little let down.

I wish the movie's first 45 minutes would have cut down on some of the focus on the torturing of a supsect. I could not get fully invested in this movie until about an hour in. That is where my slight dissaapointment lays but don't get me wrong, I loved this movie. I loved the writing, the detail, the finely written Maya character and the beautiful, measured and great performance by Jessica Chastain. I also was on the edge of my seat and fascinated by the final half hour where the action and suspense is really let loose.

"Zero Dark Thirty" is being messed with by critics who say it fails in some ways and others who think it is the best picture they have seen all year. I even messed with whether it should be on my ten best movies of the year. For movie goers and especially me sometimes you just want to see a solid movie that entertains you. I really loved this movie after I blocked out all the hype and just saw it for what it is. To me, it is a competent thriller with one of my favorite female characters of the year, a great performance by a very talented actress and a great film making job by a extremely talented director making another solid movie. Yes, "Zero Dark Thirty" is one of the best movies of the year. It is a great movie, pure and simple.


P.S. In my last paragraph I was going to say that the movie was directed by a great female director. I am glad I stopped myself because shouldn't we be at a point where it doesn't matter what a director's gender is?