Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

I looked away from the torture scene at the beginning but otherwise Jack and I agree this dramatization of the hunt for and assassination of Osama bin Laden is a good movie, albeit a tad long at 157 minutes (!). With five Oscar nominations and much more (see my list), it's one you've all thought about seeing. I don't like gore either, but found it possible to avert my eyes enough to prevent nightmares. Speaking of Oscars, director Kathryn Bigelow, like Ben Affleck for Argo, was snubbed for Best Director even though this project was nominated for Best Picture. Three years ago The Hurt Locker (I profiled her in that post), won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Bigelow), and Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal, who wrote and is nominated for this, his second script). Just as "hurt locker" is a military term for someplace you don't want to go, "00 dark thirty" refers to an unspecified time in the sunless early morning.

Jessica Chastain (last in these pages in Take Shelter) stars as Maya, the quietly intense brains behind the operation, who tends to drop an F-bomb when meeting her superiors. She has won all the major awards so far for which she's been nominated for this role. Jason Clarke (I haven't seen any of his TV work and don't remember him in Public Enemies or anything else) is the guy in the trailer who says, "I am bad news." In the imdb trivia, they refer to Joel Edgerton (most recently in Warrior) as having a leading role. He's actually in only the third act, as one of the SEALS who goes on the mission with Chris Pratt (Moneyball). They're both featured in the trailer, however, as is James Gandolfini, still breathing loudly even when at rest (when I wrote about him in Where the Wild Things Are I referenced his mouth breathing, but he does appear to use his nose, just with difficulty) (I'm all for body acceptance, but at this point the guy is damaging his health with his extra pounds).

Much has been written about the aforementioned torture scene--here's one article.

Alexandre Desplat (Argo) once again gives us an eminently listenable soundtrack, this time with the London Symphony Orchestra, available on youtube--look down the right side after each numbered track ends and you can find then next one.

The often handheld cinematography by Greig Fraser (Bright Star) may bring on motion picture motion sickness (MPMS), so those of you who are susceptible should sit at the back of the room.

You don't need me to encourage you to see it--it's averaging 93% from critics and 85 from audiences on rottentomatoes.