Zero Dark Thirty May Be The Best On Screen Attempt At Creating The 'Fog Of War' Ever -- Tim Robey, Business Insider/The Daily Telegraph
Zero Dark Thirty is military terminology for half past midnight, the time at which the pivotal raid to capture Osama bin Laden was scheduled by the CIA. There’s no more perfect title for a film this year, because it manages to suggest a witching hour, a veil of deadly secrecy, and a pinpoint-honed logistical operation all at once.
Straightaway, Kathryn Bigelow’s movie — a follow-up of sorts to The Hurt Locker, which won Oscars for her and this film’s screenwriter, Mark Boal — is ready to think on its feet, and puts paid to some impressively silly pre-release rumours that it’s out to “glorify” torture as a method of intelligence-gathering. There are many ways in which movies can glorify things, through camera angles, sound, performance, editing, and pretty much the whole arsenal at a director’s disposal, but Bigelow shuns the lot, and if you’re able to come away from the interrogation scenes feeling that a glorious goal has in any way been scored, you might need your head examined.
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My Comment: I did not like Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar movie "Hurt Locker" .... but many raved about it. And while criticism of the torture scenes in 'Zero Dark Thirty' from US politicians have been surprising .... I am going to reserve judgement until I have seen it. As to feedback from those who have already seen the film .... this is the input that I have received .... two fans of this blog emailed me tonight that they saw the film yesterday .... and they were pleasantly surprised. In their opinion .... it will win Best Director and maybe Best Film.