In Review: Zero Dark Thirty

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

Stars: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Joel Edgerton

What I Liked

Bigelow's no-nonsense direction, Chastain's powerful performance, narrative is fast-paced, controlled, and quietly intense

What I Disliked

Carrie and Saul's missing cameo in Langley. Why, Bigelow, why?

Gist

Bigelow respects her source material by not over-dramatizing the harrowing experience of her subjects. She instead delivers an intelligently executed gripping thriller possessing the same quiet explosive tenacity as her previous war movie, Hurt Locker, but with twice the control and surprise, thanks to Jessica Chastain's incredibly reserved cool and intensity popping out unexpectedly from her seemingly frail frame.

Maya (Chastain) was recruited to work for the CIA in highschool. 2 years after 9/11, she got her first overseas assignment in Pakistan where she accompanies a colleague, Dan (Clarke), to a CIA black site where a detainee is held. Initially, Maya distastes at the sight of torture, but eventually grew unflinching and sly--outsmarting the detainee even after failing to prevent an attack. The revelations from the outwitted detainee soon lead her to a trail rife with peril, putting her at odds with insurgents and superiors as she try to prove what she believe is the right trail to avenging her nation.

When I was 22 or 23, can't remember, and I haven't seen a lot of movies, I went to see Hurt Locker on DVD (as is the usual case of non-moneymaking machine movies, it didn't get shown in my country until it was up for like Oscars for Everyfuckignthing). Initially, I couldn't finish it, not because it was too intense--that would come a bit later--but because it dragged a great deal for the first thirty minutes. Besides, who was Jeremy Renner then, though? He played bad guys mostly (primarily remembered for his role in SWAT as an antagonist, and last billed among the list) and wasn't particularly likable at the start if the movie. Months after my first attempt, and I had no social functions to go to (i.e. get drunk till I needed to be driven home for my own good), I picked up my copy and managed to finish the whole thing. It was a rather emotionally harrowing experience of the war on Iraq and I understood why Bigelow got the nod in 82nd Oscars. It was an intense thriller that had multiple build-ups of tension and release.

Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty (ZDT) does not stray far from Hurt Locker's atmosphere. But it had tighter control. It was noticeably quieter than its predecessor, with its build-ups going in unnoticed until it's time for the release. And what a release! The only sort of suspense that could've equaled it is this year's Argo, which, for the sake of comparison, only had one monumental build up and release, and quite a joyous one. ZDT had multiple build ups, multiple acts that build up tension and release them, all of which are as masterful as Affleck's, and, I daresay, a step ahead of him. The sort that needed good editing to quicken the pace. One climax: boom! There you go. Let's move on to the next one, shall we? Bigelow shows us how it's done.

And since we're on the topic of comparing ZDT and Argo, I might as well finish. I have to say that it's a toss between the two for my favorite movie of the year. The similarities: both are about CIA intelligence operations, both are rife with suspense and have masterful direction and storytelling, both have endings that are part of history and already known to the audience--and yet they still manage to be an engaging watch, amid having its audience spoiled. The major difference between them, and I would need an analogy here, is this: if they were orange juice, Argo would be the sweetened sort, having spiced itself with delightful characters (Goodman and Arkin) and good old drama. ZDT appears to be the unsweetened sort, no drama, no delightful characters, just pure orange-y goodness. Some people would prefer one over the other, but both are orange juice and orange juice is good for you unless your hyperacidic, or in the sense of these suspense thrillers, tachychardic.

Not to say that Affleck has been curt with Argo, but Bigelow respects her source material by not over-dramatizing her subjects and their harrowing experience. She delivers an intelligently executed gripping thriller possessing the same quiet explosive tenacity as her previous war movie, Hurt Locker, but with twice the control and surprise, owing perhaps to Jessica Chastain's incredibly reserved cool and intensity popping out unexpectedly from her seemingly frail frame.

Both Chastain and Danes play strong CIA female analysts,
and the physical similarities align nicely, too: wide eyes,
deep eye sockets, big thin lips, thin nose, strong cheekbones,
delicate frame. 

Chastain's "Maya," a role she has performed with reserved cool and quiet tenacity that goes toe to toe with Gosling's Driver in 2011's Drive in my book, has drawn several comparisons with Danes' Carrie Mathison, prompting people to look up their inspiration. After all, both Carrie and Maya possess the same love for poring over details and obsession to what they think they're right about, clashing even with their superiors to arrive to the truth. Some digging in the internet suggests that they are based off from the short story "No Easy Day" whose central character, a "Jen," is a female CIA analyst. Whether their similarities are coincidental or not, Chastain's Maya is more controlled than Danes' Carrie who tends to employ dangerous assumptions and equipped with a penchant for reckless abandon. And I think that's what makes Maya work for ZDT's brand of suspense. She has no drama that she throws on about (even at the death of a close friend, she remains calm), she sticks to the plan, and keeps everything toned down. The sort of storytelling that ZDT came up with demanded control and Chastain delivers that to Boal and Bigelow. Her Maya is our guide, connecting to our minds rather than to our hearts (that is handled by the events depicted in the movie), the voice of calm in a shitstorm of clusterfuck, pardon the language, and if she has gone over-the-top, it would not have helped the audience understand the goings-on in the movie. And does Chastain deserve all the accolade she is getting? Yes, and she'll probably even get the Oscar.

Perhaps, that was the problem with Argo. It didn't have a Maya. We are presented with a Tony Mendez, performed by a less than likable (as an actor) Affleck, who isn't as sure as Maya in his convictions. He couldn't calm the storm the way Maya. Mendez knew his plan can fail, and when that happens, God help him--he is sure they're fucked. With Maya, there was no failure. She has data and she even wants to drop a bomb because she is that sure. In a movie full of suspense, a Maya would be more preferable than a Mendez as a guide.

Judgment: 2012's Best Picture? For me, it's no question. Bigelow delivers a mastefully executed thriller,  doubling the control and tension from her previous war movie. The result is a film that has a heavier weight than any of the competition--one that entertains as much as it educates. 5 out of 5 stars.

For this movie, I'm willing to pay: 250 to 320 PHP.