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Here's a look at the new film I saw this week, the excellent and gripping "Zero Dark Thirty."

Zero Dark Thirty
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler
Synopsis: In May of 2011, nearly a decade after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, the United States finally got its man. Osama bin Laden was killed by Seal Team Six, thanks in large part to the hard work of CIA operatives that located the terrorist leader. It was a big victory for the United States in its War on Terror. But it wasn’t a simple task. During those 10 years, operatives worked tirelessly to find information. They faced grave danger, a number of dead ends and near constant pressure from the government and the public. Writer Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow — who previously teamed to deliver Best Picture winner “The Hurt Locker” — sought to capture the complexity, difficulty and gritty details of that hunt. “Zero Dark Thirty,” nominated for Best Picture, does just that. There is little that can be done to spoil this story. By now we’re all fairly familiar with the hunt for bin Laden and that day in May of 2011 when President Barack Obama came on TV to announce to the world that we’d finally gotten our man. Instead, “Zero Dark Thirty” is devoted to an exploration of the process that led to that victory. And it is, at times, a painful process to watch. Bigelow has a knack for exploring the effects of the War on Terror. With “The Hurt Locker,” she explored the kind of personality drawn to that dangerous work. It was a fascinating character study. So, too, is “Zero Dark Thirty.” It’s an exploration of the work it took to succeed, and the of the dogged determination of one woman who locked onto her target and wouldn’t give it up. The film has also stirred plenty of controversy — particularly for the depictions of torture used by CIA operatives to gather intelligence. The film shows the sequences and shows where the crumbs gathered through those methods lead. Several in the government — including high ranking Senators — have said the film falsely demonstrates the work done by the CIA and falsely claims that successful leads came from these methods. It is up to the viewer to decide what’s true and how they feel about it. In fact, one of the criticisms of the film has been that it’s pro-torture, while others have said it’s anti-torture. In reality, it’s neither — and that’s the appeal and the problem. The film simply seeks to document events without trying to offer an opinion one way or the other. It goes through a series of emotional highs and lows, offers compelling arguments in both directions, and leaves it for the viewer to judge how they feel. That was what Bigelow wanted to do, according to interviews she’s given, and it works well. It makes “Zero Dark Thirty” a compelling film that forces you to really think about all sides of the issue. As a film, it works well too. Though it’s long and covers a great deal of time, the movie flows well. That’s a credit to Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal. Both do a good job of bringing the story to life. All the cast perform well too, led by Chastain in a difficult leading role. She brings a lot of depth to the role, which is a reason she is a front-runner to collect her own Oscar. Though “Zero Dark Thirty” seems to have fallen out of favor with some voters — as Bigelow failed to earn a directing nomination and the controversy surrounding the torture scenes seems to have damaged its appeal — it remains one of the finest films released in 2012. It’s well crafted, beautifully told and offers plenty to consider.
Rating: R for strong violence including brutal disturbing images, and for language. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, January 18 — "Last Stand," "Mama," "Broken City"

Friday, January 25 — "Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters," "Movie 43," "Parker"