Zero Dark Thirty

Zero Dark Thirty details the massive manhunt that occurred in the wake of 9/11 to find infamous al-Qaeda head Osama bin Laden, with the narrative primarily following obsessive CIA agent Maya (Jessica Chastain) as she doggedly pursues one clue after another during the course of her tireless investigation. It’s clear virtually from the get-go that Zero Dark Thirty‘s almost relentless emphasis on the aforementioned investigation cements its downfall, as filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow, working from Mark Boal’s script, details the minutia of Maya’s efforts to a progressively exhausting and tedious degree (ie this may all be very accurate but it sure isn’t interesting). The less-than-engrossing atmosphere is compounded by a ludicrously overlong running time (157 minutes!) and an almost total absence of three-dimensional protagonists, with Boal’s script eschewing anything resembling character development in favor of constant (and relentless) exposition. It’s a repetitive structure that ensures Zero Dark Thirty remains completely uninvolving for much of its first half, with the hands-off vibe persisting right up until Maya and others begin formulating a plan designed to capture or kill bin Laden at his fortified desert compound. There’s little doubt that that stretch boasts an intensity and excitement that’s sorely missing from the remainder of the proceedings, and it’s ultimately not quite enough to compensate for the unforgivably dull nature of Zero Dark Thirty‘s opening hour and a half – which does confirm the movie’s place as a rather disappointing misfire from an otherwise above-average filmmaker.

** out of ****