It's hard to believe that there is a young generation out
there that didn't experience 9/11 first hand. For those of us who lived through
it, it doesn't seem all that long ago. So this generation can't quite grasp the
importance of Osama Bin Laden's death. Still, two movies came out last year
with that subject at their core. One seemed little more than a promotional
piece for President Obama during an election year (going so far as to include
an ill timed comment by Mitt Romney who had nothing to do with the subject
matter) showing almost as much of him as the SEAL team that took Bin Laden out.
The other was nominated for best picture and nearly won.
ZERO DARK THIRTY was noted for taking a few dramatic
liberties (such as the main character actually being a composite of several
main players in what unfolded) but that doesn't detract from the story being
told. Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a young CIA agent on her first time in
the Middle East as the film opens. She's there during an interrogation and sees
first hand how brutal it can be. While she shies away from it she stays silent.
The film moves quickly from place to place, time to time
through the career of Maya. She doggedly pursues any lead that could find Bin
Laden. One possible lead is a courier for messages he sends out but that falls
to the wayside when he apparently is killed. It's not until later in the film
that she learns he came from a family with 8 brothers and it was one of them
killed not the man she was searching for.
Through her career we see how things change. Her passive
nature turns to a desire to catch and kill her prey. When a friend is killed in
a car bombing Maya becomes even more determined. Add to that a machine gun
attack on her and she won't let anyone stand in her way, not even her immediate
supervisors. Maya's in your face attitude may not win her a large number of
friends but it does earn her respect.
No, this isn't a spoiler since we know the outcome of this
story. Eventually a possible site for Bin Laden is found. When a table full of
bureaucrats is asked if this is a 100% surety that Bin Laden is there they each
take a turn hem hawing around with smaller percentages in mind. Only Maya has
the courage to say this is as close to 100$ as they are likely to ever be.
Given the go ahead the last 30 minutes or so of the film
deals with the SEAL team that was sent in to capture or kill Bin Laden. While
the film to this point, nearly 2 hours, dealt with what it took to find him,
this 30 minutes is shown from a tactical standpoint where we see the team
organize then put into action the plan to take him out in action.
The thing that stands out about this film is that it seems
more matter of fact than most movies made. There is no John Wayne type
motivating and leading a group into the battle field. This is more what the
situation was like, plain and simple. The only bad thing about that is that it
plays out kind of bland.
Perhaps we're all still too close to the situation than we'd
like to admit. Perhaps the wounds are still too exposed. Perhaps the death of
Bin Laden was too quick and sudden to accept. While the story is an important
one and this film does give credit where credit was due, it's still a bit slow
paced and realistic to be considered entertainment. A good movie technically
yes, but for enjoyment I'm not so sure. Whether you watch this film will be
determined by your outlook on the situation. Yes it is a good movie, but go in
knowing what to expect.
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