When looking for a coupling of quantity and quality content in a military film, two things will never leave you wanting, amazing subject matter and the name Kathryn Bigelow.
And though like Ben Affleck for “Argo,” Bigelow was also passed over this Oscar season for her sizable directorial efforts – though her film was nominated for Best Picture – “Zero Dark Thirty” proves just as hard-hitting and conscience rattling as any Hurt Locker blast. Ever adept at putting viewers in the extreme thick of it, Bigelow never waivers from her trademark of telling a wildly spirited story. And whether its bullets whizzing by, or bureaucratic political fights, the action is equaled by the intensity of its cast. Chastain earns her stripes completely in the role of Maya, the no nonsense center of the picture’s powder keg, flanked solidly by an amazing supporting cast. And while attention must be paid to certain unsavory aspects in the quest to find bin Laden, driving the message home that in a war there are no complete reckonings or ultimate winners, Thirty does well in never letting its preach outweigh, or outshine, its punch. Only a modest grouping of four featurettes make up the discs extras menu, with small but smart looks into the making of the film, the construction of bin Laden’s compound, the authenticity of the military involved, and insights into portraying Maya by Jessica Chastain. So with a tireless effort and meticulous historical spin, during a time when hesitation meant losing your men, “Zero Dark Thirty” tracks down the real story behind one of history’s most hunted and hated men.
Studio Synopsis: For a decade, an elite team of intelligence operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar® winning team of The Hurt Locker, director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal, along with producer Megan Ellison, telling the story of history’s greatest manhunt for the world’s most dangerous man.
Studio: Sony
Running Time: 157 minutes
Rating: R
Number of Disks: 1
Special Features:
- Four Featurettes:
*No Small Feat: features Bigelow sharing why this project, and the recounting of this historic event, was so important.
*The Compound: lets audiences hear from cast and crew on the recreation of Osama bin Laden’s lair and take a walking tour of the recreated compound.
*Geared Up: provides an in-depth look at the detailed measures taken in training, equipping and filming the raid, as well as cast and crew commentary on this great feat in filmmaking.
*Targeting Jessica Chastain: features cast, crew and Jessica herself reflecting on her role as Maya, the pivotal force at the center of the 10-year manhunt.
Additional Resources:
Central Cast: Jessica Chastain | Jason Clarke | Kyle Chandler | Chris Pratt | Jennifer Ehle | Mark Strong
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Central Writers: Mark Boal
Theatrical Release: January 11, 2013
Blu-Ray/DVD Release: March 19, 2013
Genre: Drama | History | Thriller
Supporting Cast and more Writers found HERE