An indefatigable CIA agent, Maya (Jessica Chastain), hunts for Osama Bin Laden after the September 11 attacks. This film focuses on her relentless search which resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden at the hand of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011. This is director Kathryn Bigelow’s First Project since her film The Hurt Locker won best picture in 2008. There has been a lot of anticipation for this film. It has already been nominated for 5 academy awards. Jessica Chastain is nominated for the Best Actress category and has already won a Golden Globe for this role.
A mistake could easily be made in expecting this to be an action or thriller movie because of the military aspect. This is not an action movie, this is a heavy drama punctuated with moments of excitement. Even the raid scene itself is presented without musical score and is brutally honest rather than being flashy or showy. This movie is about Maya and her journey that climaxes with the death of Osama Bin Laden.
I was extremely excited to see this movie because I enjoyed The Hurt Locker so much. The way that movie was filmed truly was a work of art. This film is much less poetic and far more honest than Bigelow’s last work. The pacing of this movie is painfully slow, the purpose being to put the viewer in Maya’s place. The events of this movie span ten years and the mild frustration I feel as a viewer must be magnified a thousand times over for this woman who works for months without discovering a single useful piece of information. Although effective in making me respect and admire the character, the tactic does not make me want to see the film again anytime soon. The viewer feels every second of the 157 minutes of this film.
Jessica Chastain is amazing in this role and I fully expect her to win Best Actress for it. The film itself, however, is well-made but forgettable. I am glad it has been recognized with nominations, but I do not see it as a real contender for Best Picture. I would not even recommend it for most people. If you are planning to be watching the Oscars, you must see it soon before it leaves the theaters. If you are a fan of political or espionage drama or character-driven drama then the red box will be waiting in a few months. Otherwise I have to recommend skipping this one unfortunately.
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment