Review: Zero Dark Thirty

Rating: 15

Duration: 157 mins

Sometimes controversy whirls around a film either working to its advantage or detriment. Admittedly anything that generates such attention is largely media hyperbole, and Kathryn Bigelow's latest is perhaps the perfect example of this. 

Zero Dark Thirty -- a film that documents the CIA's battle to hunt down and kill bin Laden -- is a controversial subject matter in itself, but the alleged advocacy of torture seems to be its main talking point. Firstly, the torture scenes aren't especially indulgent, nor does it glorify the process of terrorist interrogation. Secondly, it's not even like the film uses torture for the basis of the narrative, in fact, it features very little in the almost three hour running time. And thirdly, rather than scrutinising this, at times graphic, minute plot element, it's important not to brush the rest of the film aside, because Zero Dark Thirty is a superbly directed, paced and structured thriller.

Understandably Oscar buzz surrounds this, with high profile nominations for Best Picture, Actress and Original Screenplay, yet surprisingly an omission for its directing. Despite the lengthy run time, the pacing and overall balance of action, dialogue and plot are structured fluidly, resulting in a non-stifled flow of true life events translated very effectively onto the big screen. In fact, the story is so well constructed that it could pass as fiction with the narrative progression and gripping tension it builds during set pieces.

What's refreshing is the complete lack of an 'America, fuck yeah!' attitude, even during the moments one might expect (specifically in the enthralling climax), as the story concentrates on its ultimate goal: kill bin Laden. However, patriotism is still visible on the surface of the actions, but the extent and fundamentality of it -- find the bad guys so we can kill them all -- is well disguised in an intelligently written screenplay.

Jessica Chastain is on top form as the overworked, undersexed CIA operative Maya, as her obsession to locate bin Laden defines her characteristics both positively through her determination and perseverance, and negatively via the encumbering nature her obsession has on her health and psychological state. Her role is certainly worthy of an Oscar nod, and may very well emerge the victor come February the 24th.

Another point previously touched upon is Bigelow's spot on direction, further adding to the bafflement of an Oscar snub. She conveys the enormity of the story effectively, treating her audience with the intelligence they deserve and refuses to spoon feed every piece of information to them. Instead, we are encouraged to fill in gaps and piece together details as Maya accumulates them, whilst still offering a concise and accessible story to follow.

From the very beginning Zero Dark Thirty engages in the form of non-fictional drama, builds tension gradually, and strides towards a finale that can only be described as majestic and is comparable to any work of fiction available today. The tension arguably supersedes the hugely praised Argo, and maintains that knife-edged intensity for much longer periods, too.

Review: Lawless

Rating: 18
Duration: 116 mins

John Hillcoat's last film, The Road, was a faithfully-adapted, bleak take on the apocalypse, and his latest also falls into the category of novel adaptations; this time courtesy of Matt Bondurant (the grandson of the story's protagonists).

The transfer from novel -- originally titled The Wettest County in the World -- to big screen in the capable hands of Nick Cave (The Assassination of Jesse James; The Proposition) assures a well-paced, intensely authentic depiction of the Bondurant brothers (Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke and Shia LaBeouf, respectively) that proves an interesting if somewhat vague tale of the so-called immortal siblings.

With LaBeouf recently announcing his desire to pursue a career down the indie route, Lawless is appropriate to showcase his talents in an attempt to distance himself from the annoying twerp in Transformers. And it serves him well, because not only does he take centre stage ahead of the up-and-coming Hardy and the blink-and-you'll-miss-it contribution from Gary Oldman, he succeeds in delivering a performance to match the amount of screentime he's given.

Set in rural Virginia during the Depression, the three brothers make a living from their illicit dealings in moonshine, as they enforce a local Bondurant law of fear and violence. That is until a new, unhinged deputy (Guy Pearce) enters the fray. It's perhaps his portrayal that is most memorable, with his shaved eyebrows, centre-parted, slicked hair and (debateably) immaculate sense of style that set him apart. Both Hardy and Jessica Chastain offer subtle, more reserved performances, with the former generating humour with grunty nuances from time to time.

Whilst the acting is consistently strong, the narrative leaves a little more to be desired. As the feud between Bondurants and local law intensifies, there's little incident along the way that significantly builds to its climactic finale. Neither is there a particularly strong presence of sub plotting or subtext,  either, rendering the emotion of the characters somewhat impenetrable. What's more, the vagueness of plot points and lack of exposition prevents the characters from feeling particularly rounded or muster depth and engagement with them.

Even though the story is loose and tends to hone in on the plights of family and responsibility, it has its moments during a lengthy runtime, yet lacks the compelling nature of what it should be due to the overuse of ambiguity. Commendably, Hillcoat's period piece certainly looks the part with an authenticity that makes you wish you were able to experience things firsthand. However, such is the throwaway nature of the beast, Lawless ultimately culminates as a good film rather than a great one.

Blu-ray Review: The Debt

Based on an Israeli film from 2007, this American remake of The Debt is penned by Kick Ass scribes Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman and is directed by period drama enthusiast, John Madden (not to be confused with the ageing NFL ex-pro and commentator).

With the original gaining little attention at the time, the heavyweight ensemble of this version alone earns it more attention and not just because it stars the legendary Helen Mirren. She's joined by rising talent Jessica Chastain, who plays the younger version of her, as well as the likes of Tom Wilkinson, Ciarán Hinds and Sam Worthington, too.

The story takes place in 1997 where Rachel (Mirren) is thrust into the media spotlight as she (and more so her daughter) promotes her book of memoirs from her time serving in the mid 60's as a Mossad agent in Israel, as she- along with team members Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) and David (Ciarán Hinds) - attempt to track down and capture Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen). 

The story frequently shifts from one time period to the other; as we witness the younger versions of the trio (including Marton Csokas as Stephan and Sam Worthington as David, respectively) undertake their mission as an intriguing plot and tense thriller unfolds.

Notably, the acting is great, especially with the talent involved, however their questionable accents are the obvious flaw in an otherwise strong array of performances. Whilst it would seem Chastain has been in pretty much everything in 2011, this is by no means one of her stronger contributions, yet she competently portrays an emotionally layered role convincingly, with worthy support from Csokas and Worthington at her side. What unfolds is a dangerous game of secrets, lies and cover ups as a gripping against-the-clock scenario presents itself. What's more is that the central characters embark in an emotionally provocative love triangle that has repercussions both in 1965 as well as 30 years later.

The script is well written and tightly structured, as the bulk of the plot takes place during the 60's; the decade switches aren't as confusing or poorly executed as one might expect, but are expressed coherently and should avoid disorientating viewers.

VERDICT: The Debt ultimately lacks that killer touch and the level of high suspense that transforms it from a great thriller to a superb one. However, solid acting coupled with a well paced exploration of its character arcs prove that sometimes a remake can succeed, as Madden invites his audience to experience the thrills and intensity this has to offer.

DISC EXTRAS:

A Look Inside The Debt
Every Secret Has A Price: Helen Mirren In The Debt
Feature Commentary With Director John Madden & Producer Kris Thykier

Very disappointing if truth be told, with only a couple of minutes of interviews and footage that are repeated in both the featurettes.


FILM:       ★★★★
EXTRAS: ★★


The Debt is out now on Blu-ray & DVD.

Competition: Win The Debt on Blu-ray!

Starring Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Sam Worthington and Ciarán Hinds, The Debt is a  gripping and intense thriller that boasts a superb cast and engaging story to boot.
With the imminent release of the film, The Littlest Picture Show is giving YOU the chance to WIN one of TWO copies of the film on Blu-ray!

HOW TO ENTER:

STEP 1: FOLLOW me on Twitter here and TWEET the following:

COMPETITION: WIN THE DEBT on Blu-ray! RT & FOLLOW @littlestpicshow to enter! Details here: http://tiny.cc/29h63 #competition #film #bluray


STEP 2: Follow this blog (click 'follow' at the top left of the page) to keep track of my latest reviews, articles & future competitions!

NOTE: If you are not on Twitter, then you can email the above quote to mike@thelittlestpictureshow.co.uk with 'THE DEBT COMPETITION' as the subject title.

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Entries must be in by January 26th .
The winners will be randomly selected and notified on January 27th.
Open to UK residents only.
No cash alternative.