Zero Dark Thirty (Columbia Pictures)

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Recently nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actress (Jessica Chastain) and Best Picture, everybody is talking about the new film Zero Dark Thirty, from the Oscar-winning team of director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, who also brought you The Hurt Locker.

Zero Dark Thirty is an inside look in the 10-year mission hunt for world-renowned terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.

The film stars Jessica Chastain as Maya, a young woman working as an intelligence operative in the CIA. The movie revolves around her working with other operatives, interrogating key members of Al-Qaeda, and piecing together clues to Bin Laden’s whereabouts.

After a personal tragedy, she tries to dig deeper into the hunt. Though her superiors (Kyle Chandler and James Gandolfini) tell her it is becoming impossible, she becomes more determined to complete the search.

Eventually when Bin Laden is located at a house in Pakistan, a small group of U.S. soldiers is on hand to bring down the world’s number one terrorist.

If you are expecting a lot of wartime action, you will be disappointed. The movie is more like a political drama where the first three-fourths of the movie relies on intelligence and dialogue to move the story forward.

There are also some intense scenes of torture during the first act, adding to the movie's controversy. This movie is certainly not for the easily offended. 

In spite of that, Chastain’s performance enhances the movie. With so much talk about her winning the Best Actress Oscar, it is easy to see why. Her delivery and her emotional moments elevate this film from being a mediocre drama.

The climatic raid in Pakistan is another satisfying part of the movie – anyone who plays Call of Duty will get a kick out of this sequence. Even if you already know how it happens, it is still the most suspenseful part of the entire movie.

Zero Dark Thirty is not for everybody. However, it is recommended for those who don’t mind the torture scenes, like the political dramas and can endure the 2.5-hour running time.

It may not be the Best Picture that everybody is talking about, but at least it is more interesting than The Hurt Locker.

THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong violence including brutal disturbing images, and for language)

THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)