Zero Dark Thirty

Summary:

 Chronicles the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden following the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of Navy SEAL Team 6.

Staff Review:

 Zero Dark Thirty is a spy film depicting the pursuit of Osama Bin Laden following the 2001 attacks by Al Qaeda. The film has some understandably violent moments, especially in the portrayal of the interrogation of Al Qaeda operatives. However, given the extreme nature of the interrogations, I felt the movie was respectful of its viewers. I did cover my eyes a few times, but the violence could have been much worse.

The main character in the movie is Maya, a young CIA operative stationed in the Middle East. The film follows Maya’s single-minded pursuit to discover the location of Osama Bin Laden. Maya followed a number of leads that never seem to go anywhere. In her frustration, she began to watch old interrogation videos which gave her an important link, and new direction for her investigation.

The hunt took 10 long years, during which billions of dollars were spent. Maya knew with intense confidence that she would find the link that would give her Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts. She only had to convince her superiors that she was right and to keep funding her pursuit.
I highly recommend this movie. Granted its contents and themes are controversial, and none of us may ever know how this operation really happened, but this film does portray one of the most significant operations in the history of the CIA and for that reason alone is worth watching. If you like this movie, check out the book on which it was based, No Easy Day by Mark Owen.

-- by Amy S.