Zero Dark Thirty (00:30凌晨密令) is an 2012 film. The movie stars Jessica Chastain. The supporting cast include Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Kyle Chandler, Harold Perrineau, Joel Edgerton, and Chris Pratt. The film was based on the CIA's search and eventual take down of Osama bin Laden (UBL) after the 9/11 attacks.
Jessica Chastain plays Maya. Maya is sent to Pakistan to find UBL. We are introduced to water boarding interrogations to get information out of captives. Maya goes from one lead to the next and latches on to one pertaining to Abu Ahmed. From there, the lead goes on for years until around 2010 when they get a break in the case. The break eventually leads to Maya finding UBL.
This movie was pretty gritty and Chastain is front and center for the majority of the film. And Chastain does an amazing job. She is the jewel of the current crop of female actors in her generation. I kind of remember Julia Ormond and Claire Forlani sort of breaking out from nowhere. However, those two relied on romantic films. Chastain does it all. Her resume of films starting in 2011 is more than impressive and enough for many careers. However, I think this is just a start for her. I expect her to have another great run for the next few years.
Back to the movie. The story itself is linear and tells of how Maya chases leads after leads. It exposes the lives of those chasing and the causalities of this chase. We see in Maya a parallel of how the sentiment in the states were. Starting out as tentative and becoming a master of tradecraft. Getting the job done.
I recommend the movie and its made me more impressed with Kathryn Bigelow. From Point Break to The Hurt Locker, Bigelow's resume can stand the test of time. Not quantity, but quality.
