Zero Dark Thirty

CAUTION: SPOILERS MAY BE WRITTEN

So today I finally saw Zero Dark Thirty after a long battle of avoiding it at all costs...now for the opinion.

All in all I thought it was good, not great. I believe that it is being way overhyped, but it is definitely a step up from Bigelow's other film The Hurt Locker. You can say I'm calling Oscar bait on this one but it was the only thing I thought of while watching ZDT.


My Pros:

1. Jessica Chastain - I think we can all agree that Chastain gives an Oscar worthy performance. In the beginning I was uneasy about her because I didn't feel like there was enough drive in her character. As the film progressed, I found that Chastain encompassed a character who was docile in the beginning and rugged in the end. There were some parts where I was hoping to see a little bit more anger out of her but everything else was quality.
2. Jason Clarke - Out of all the male roles in this films, my favorite character was Jason Clarke's. It gave a partial comic relief to such a story. He had witty one liners to get us through the somewhat dull and information filled first half of the film.
3. Score - I have always been a fan of Alexander Desplat's film scoring, so it came natural for me to enjoy the musical undertone.

My Cons:

You may not agree with them but as I tell everyone I talk to...everyone is entitled to an opinion.

1. The length - This film could have been 2 hours long or even a little less and gotten to the point for the amount of skipping through the timeline that was done. Even though with the length, I feel like there is a lot more pertinent information out there to this story that wasn't covered. I feel as though this film shouldn't have been made right now. Maybe in a few years time, but to me it's too early.
2. The outline of the story - What I despise in a film is breaking it up into parts. The first half of the film was a lot of information and seriousness, and the last half hour was the action. I'm sure there was more action during the time this plan of attack was being talked about. Yes, Bigelow did show events that happened but I just wanted more. The story drags a bit from time to time as well. Also, the way that the date and location were displayed bothered me so much and I don't know why. I think I would've preferred the words placed towards the bottom of the frame.
3. The ending - The ending is one of the dragging areas of the film for me. First you were in a room, then blowing up a door, then oh wait you're in another room. The worst part about it was that I felt like I could hook up a game console controller and actually be one of the men conducting the raid. I guess I'm just not a fan of first person perspective when it comes to filming, I don't know. I also felt like that was in a way the climax of the film too. All that planning actually happens then boom - Osama's dead - Chastain is on a plane to somewhere (she never answered the guys question) - roll credits.

Like I said, this is definitely a step up from The Hurt Locker. I just don't understand why everyone is in love with this. Is it because the story affected us all in some matter? Maybe. Is it because it's so close to Oscar time that it's fresh in The Academy's minds? Maybe. But I for one will not be rooting for it to win best picture. I however will in fact be cheering for Chastain, although she's in one tough category.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars