If I had to guess which current movies will make it on to future 1001 lists, I would pick Zero Dark Thirty for sure. I can't remember the last time everyone I know (and don't know) has been so eager to dissect a movie.
How ironic is it that Kathryn Bigelow, who has succeeded better than anyone else so far at making good movies about ongoing wars, used to be married to James Cameron, the ultimate commercial director?
I've seen it twice so far, once with my boyfriend and a second time with my parents. I liked it the first time, but I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around because I was more relaxed. At first I thought the format of breaking it up into chapters was a little weird, but it didn't bother me the second time around. With a story that stretches over 10 years, breaking it up that way was probably the easiest way to establish shifts in time and locale. Other details stuck out at me more the second time around.
I love that this movie has gotten so many people talking, and that everyone seems to interpret it a little differently.
It might not be as nailbiting exciting all the way through as The Hurt Locker, but I'm ok with that. Zero Dark Thirty is asking bigger, more complicated questions, and it gets more political.
There were two scenes in the movie that I really loved (minor spoilers ahead):
1. The scene after James Gandolfini as Leon Panetta is briefed on the compound, walking into the elevator he asks his assistant "what do you think of the girl?"
Assistant: "I think she's fucking smart."
Panetta: (sarcastically) "We're all smart."
2. The scenes where the special helicopters are en route to the compound and it's so dark you can barely see them flying low over the mountain passes. So chilling. I tried to imagine what thoughts were going through the SEALs' heads right at that moment.
I also loved all the scenes of the Navy SEALs leading up to the raid. The actors did a great job of conveying the camaraderie that comes with being part of a tight-knit unit. I liked the scenes where the more skeptical SEALs are questioning Maya (Jessica Chastain's character) on what her evidence is and why they should believe her.
Most of America may be keen to forget all the missteps and questionable judgment calls of the last 10 years, but topics like torture shouldn't be glossed over and forgotten about.
The questions I'm left with are: what will we do differently in the future because of what we've learned in the past 10 years? Have we even learned anything in the past 10 years?
Will we ever learn?
How ironic is it that Kathryn Bigelow, who has succeeded better than anyone else so far at making good movies about ongoing wars, used to be married to James Cameron, the ultimate commercial director?
I've seen it twice so far, once with my boyfriend and a second time with my parents. I liked it the first time, but I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around because I was more relaxed. At first I thought the format of breaking it up into chapters was a little weird, but it didn't bother me the second time around. With a story that stretches over 10 years, breaking it up that way was probably the easiest way to establish shifts in time and locale. Other details stuck out at me more the second time around.
I love that this movie has gotten so many people talking, and that everyone seems to interpret it a little differently.
It might not be as nailbiting exciting all the way through as The Hurt Locker, but I'm ok with that. Zero Dark Thirty is asking bigger, more complicated questions, and it gets more political.
There were two scenes in the movie that I really loved (minor spoilers ahead):
1. The scene after James Gandolfini as Leon Panetta is briefed on the compound, walking into the elevator he asks his assistant "what do you think of the girl?"
Assistant: "I think she's fucking smart."
Panetta: (sarcastically) "We're all smart."
2. The scenes where the special helicopters are en route to the compound and it's so dark you can barely see them flying low over the mountain passes. So chilling. I tried to imagine what thoughts were going through the SEALs' heads right at that moment.
I also loved all the scenes of the Navy SEALs leading up to the raid. The actors did a great job of conveying the camaraderie that comes with being part of a tight-knit unit. I liked the scenes where the more skeptical SEALs are questioning Maya (Jessica Chastain's character) on what her evidence is and why they should believe her.
Most of America may be keen to forget all the missteps and questionable judgment calls of the last 10 years, but topics like torture shouldn't be glossed over and forgotten about.
The questions I'm left with are: what will we do differently in the future because of what we've learned in the past 10 years? Have we even learned anything in the past 10 years?
Will we ever learn?
This movie has an award-worthy central performance from Jessica Chastain, an insightful script with incredibly sharp dialogue, an intense atmosphere throughout and one of the best climaxes to a film I've seen in a long time. Good review Rachel.
ReplyDeleteVery true, it's a tight script where no words are wasted, they all move the plot forward or serve as character development
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