Jessica Chastain leads a great cast in Kathryn Bigelow’s movie about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden called ‘Zero Dark Thirty’. Bigalow has worked with Mark Boal to put together this story of CIA officer Maya’s search for the one-time ‘worlds most wanted man’.
According to sources, Chastain’s character Maya is based on a real-life CIA agent who was stationed at the US embassy in Pakistan. Maya spends most of her time searching for Osama in what is a challenge for an agent who is getting accustomed to the ways of the military and a male-dominated work environment. Jason Clarke plays the role of Maya’s fellow-officer Dan, who has been stationed with her as well. Joel Edgerton and Chriss Pratt also join the cast.
Director Kathryn Bigelow plays the facts in the initial part of the movie, turning to real-life events that took place shortly after the 9/11 disaster. The story begins on September 11, 2011 and continues through to the raid on Bin Laden’s home, keeping the narrative relatively down-to-earth throughout.
Bigalow has decided to approach the movie as though it was a documentary, without the regular Hollywood flamboyance. The characters are well sketched and facts are adhered to. There are many parts of the film of which the general public would not have heard of on the news, such as the hard work Maya puts in going through documentation and surveillance footage and finally setting her sights on Osama’s messenger.
The movie does not have a flash-bang ending, rather it gives one the feeling of being there in real-time. A must watch for anyone interested in a solid alternative to a regular Hollywood flick. The movie will release to cinema’s the world over on January 11, 2013.
