"Zero Dark Thirty - What was all the fuss about?" Topic

Just watched the above which I picked up on Blu-Ray when I went to buy 'Lincoln'.

Have to say I like Kathryn Bigelow's work and I got the strong female lead (I thought Jessica Chastain was very good) the interesting character transition from professional to revenge motive, along with the one person versus 'the suits' theme but I felt overall it was a bit flat.

OK so it doesn't help knowing how the story starts and ends but five Oscar and four Golden Globe nominations – really?

Obviously, I can understand the fuss that 'The Good Guys don't actually do this stuff, do they?' may have elicited in some uninformed, or unenlightened quarters but as a piece of film work I was underwhelmed.

I much preferred 'Green Zone' both as a film and commentary on recent events.

The fuss IIRC, was that the team members were talking to the producers/writers with out being cleared by upper brass. A no no no matter what kind of "Sea Story" you may be telling.

The fuss IMHP, was that people were upset about the real world politics of the situation and tansposed them on the movie.

Those who were against torture were against the movie because it shows torture.

Those who were happy we killed Osama, were excited about the movie.

Those who were anti-war or anti-obama hated the movie along those lines.

etc…

None of the emotion was really about the movie or its protrayal itself, just what people reflected on to it.

I liked the movie, but I thought it was too hyperfocused on the main character.

…I liked the movie, but I thought it was too hyperfocused on the main character.

I'll second that!

"Lincoln" on the other hand is among "my" top FIVE flicks of all-time.

I feel pretty much the same about Zero Dark 30 as Trajanus. I'm actually not a big fan of Bigelow's recent movies. I thought both the Hurt Locker and Zero Dark 30 were a bit disjointed. I felt like key stuff ended up on the cutting room floor.

It was good, but not all that good.

"Lincoln" on the other hand is among "my" top FIVE flicks of all-time.

Yes Day-Lewis has pretty much ruined that role forever, how could you follow that?

I only really buy movies that I've seen on the big screen and want to keep, or ones I would have like to have seen and somehow missed. Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty fell in that order.

Not much of one for the impulse buy! :o)

It was nothing more than an 'Obama" PR movie. Let's face it thisall started long before Obama tiook office, but he takes all the credit( we got Bin Laden) .. no the Navy Seals did.God bless them all .

It was nothing more than an 'Obama" PR movie. Let's face it thisall started long before Obama tiook office, but he takes all the credit( we got Bin Laden) .. no the Navy Seals did.God bless them all.

I have no clue how you see it as an Obama PR piece. The movie had no political agenda at all and made no references to either DEM or GOP politics. The CIA (Chastain's character) and the Navy SEALS were given all the credit in the movie. The CIA suits who didn't listen to Chastain were all 'CIA bureaucrats' whose political allegiances were unclear.

Because it went for 'realism,' ZD30 is rather dry and 'procedural.' It was a bit overrated, perhaps due to Bigelow's pedigree, but it disappointed by winning just one Oscar in a minor category (Sound Editing) during a strong year which featured strong Oscar contenders like 'Argo,' 'Lincoln,' 'Life of Pi,' 'Django Unchained' and 'Silver Linings Playbook.'

I gave it an A- in my movie review blog (which was the same grade I gave 'Les Miserables'). All the aforementioned movies earned solid A's.

I gave it an A- in my movie review blog (which was the same grade I gave 'Les Miserables'). All the aforementioned movies earned solid A's.

I would have said B+ myself but there again I didn't fancy seeing any one of 'Argo,' 'Life of Pi,' 'Django Unchained' or 'Silver Linings Playbook.' So tastes differ, I guess.

Did enjoy 'Les Miserables' though!