Zero Dark Thirty (2012 Nominee)

The decade long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 11th, 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011.

The amazing thing about this movie is that everyone knows how it ends but somehow it is RAGING suspenseful.  Thank goodness I knew how it was going to end or I might've had a heart attack in the theatre! Jessica Chastain's performance was wonderful!  It was such a great role for her.  We got to see so much of her talent in this movie.  This movie had an excellent supporting cast but it really is a one woman event.  An amazing thing about the movie is that it was in production before the death of Osama bin Laden.  It was going to be about the many year failed hunt for the al-Qaeda leader.  After his death, Kathryn Bigelow (director) had to go back to the drawing board to make a new conclusion to the film.  Tim has a lot to say about this movie, so I'm going to let him take over!  

Billed as “the greatest manhunt in history,” Zero Dark Thirty is unquestionably impactful in its urgency and immediacy. The ink had barely dried on bin Laden’s death certificate when this film was announced, and the controversial response to this film goes to prove that the wounds surrounding the film’s events have not healed, and perhaps may never. The supporting cast is all excellent, but make no mistake that this is Jessica Chastain’s film and she owns it. Much like the director, Chastain’s character is a woman playing a “man’s game,” and her struggle to be taken seriously is all uphill. After the double gut punch of this and The Hurt Locker, it’s clear that no one makes war films (or any films) like Kathryn Bigelow, who has shown amazing originality and potential since the very beginning of her career (check out the unfortunately lesser-known Near Dark or Strange Days and I’m sure you will agree). We all know that the US gets the “bad guy” at the end of this film, but the preceding action seem to suggest that we didn’t come out of it as the “good guys.” The children looking on during the jaw-dropping, suspenseful invasion of bin Laden’s hideout all have the potential to grow up to be just as vengeful and powerful, and Bigelow’s decision to make most of it in first-person point of view makes the viewer feel present and even partially responsible. There is no question that this is one of the best, maybe even the best film of the year but I predict that the Academy will not award this film Best Picture because of the message that would send to the rest of the world. Nevertheless, this film will be talked about and well-respected long after this Sunday’s awards ceremony is over. 

"0 dark 30" is a term commonly used by the military to refer to a non-specific time when it is dark outside, either very late or very early. However, the prevailing pronunciation is "oh dark thirty". 

Maya: I'm going to smoke everyone involved in this op and then I'm going to kill Osama bin Laden