Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

So, I been feeling real bad about getting DVDs from Netflix and then taking forever for watch them. Real bad. Even though thats what Netflix sells itself on. So, ZDT was scheduled on release and I thought I'd just get a copy for myself so I could have it and watch it at my leasure. And it arrived today and watch it I did. Probably have to watch it again. But let's get into my first impressions.

There are spoilers below the cut.

The screenplay is good. All of the characters are good and have meaningful things to say and do. And I am impressed with the CIA characters. They talk like real people and they look like real people. People of my generation. Because the GWOT is/was our war. Maya, the main character, doesn't just hunt UBL. She also has a nice character arc from noob to hardened vet. Dan is my favorite character though. Thinking about it now, the plot is a bit off. Like "The Hurt Locker", ZDT is episodic. But unlike "The Hurt Locker" ZDT's episodes don't really gel into a coherent whole.

The production is fantastic, which isn't a surprise since ZDT is from the woman who gave us "The Hurt Locker" which had to have been filmed on location in Iraq. The locations look great. The interiors look great, especially parts of the embassy in Pakistan which had a very industrial look. Unfortunately, the depiction of Neptune Spear was just too dark save for the night vision shots which were awesome. I think I'll watch that out here on the computer to see if it shows up better on this monitor.

The acting was pretty spot on all around. Jessica Chastain as Maya was not bad, but she didn't blow me away. Jessica had good moments, but her character arc spans ten years. Maybe I need to watch it again to pick up the nuances of her Oscar-caliber performance. Jason Clarke as Dan was better. Restrained, not underwhelming. Jennifer Ehle was standout in her role as a CIA colleague. About the only weak link in the cast was James Gandolfini as the CIA director. James just has an inate menace that is hard to disguise.

Maybe it's because I was expecting to be blown away that ZDT didn't blow me away. Overall it's an excellent movie. But I'm feeling a bit disappointed, let down. ZDT has it's moments. But it's just not as tight and focused a movie as "The Hurt Locker" which had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. You know what, "Zero Dark Thirty" would have benefited from being a miniseries on a subscription channel.