Best Picture Nominees: 'Zero Dark Thirty'

I continue my look at the Best Picture nominees today with another film that seems to be a victim of the current political climate.

Zero Dark Thirty
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, and Mark Strong
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actress (Chastain), Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal), Best Editing, and Best Sound Editing
Synopsis: Heading into late December, most people were talking about "Zero Dark Thirty" like it was a lock as Best Picture of the year. But a funny thing happened along the way to the film's coronation — backlash began. First, leading politicians began to decry the film as inaccurate. In a post in January I talked about the idea that I think the film rubs us the wrong way because it forces us to confront who we really are as a nation, and we don't like it. I still think that's true, but no matter what the underlying root of the problem is, there is a problem. When the Academy Award nominations came out, director Kathryn Bigelow didn't earn a directing nomination. It was clear that the film was losing steam. As Chastain has seen her chances for an Oscar slip, you start to wonder if the film will win anything. I think it's certainly possible that "Zero Dark Thirty" will go home empty-handed. That's because the Academy Awards are as much a political process as they are about the work. That being said, I don't know if I think this was the Best film. It was certainly among the best films, and I think Bigelow was certainly worthy of a nomination, but I don't know if I think it was the best film. What it does do well is force us to consider some facts and some ideas about America. What it does do is ask tough questions without providing any answers. And in our country — particularly in a film system where audiences crave clarity and closure — that is a dangerous proposition. This is not the overly patriotic version of how we got Osama bin Laden — that is the TV movie "Seal Team Six." This is a film about what happened to us, how we reacted, and what it takes to get a leg up in a rapidly evolving world. There are no longer nations and armies with a clearly defined hierarchy that present the greatest threat. The leaders of the opposition are more crafty and more hidden than that. Which is why our intelligence gathering agencies are as much a part of the front line as our soldiers. That is a reality we may not want to embrace, but it is a reality none the less. "Zero Dark Thirty" could have been a way for the government to present the facts they wanted the public to know, but it isn't. And, of course, that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. From that standpoint, what Bigelow and Boal have done is brilliant. And in another year, or a more honest political climate, that might have been enough to claim film's top prize. For this year, the honor might have to be the nomination.
Rating: R for strong violence including brutal disturbing images, and for language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.