Zero Dark Thirty (R) 7.5

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011. (7.5)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt

Most people know the basic story of the killing of UBL. This movie depicts the events leading up to that, and forces the audience to witness the ugly side of the battle. The extreme torture, the hotel bombings, the suicide attacks, etc. are shown pretty accurately and leaves it up to the audience to make up its own mind. Since this is a feature film rather than a documentary, there probably is some stretching of the truth for the effect, but the major events are said to be pretty accurate. We are familiar with the still photos of the final sequence of events, so the movie had to get that right. I think, it does a good job of it. There is some controversy over how UBL was killed, rightly, this doesn't try to answer that. Acting is quite good. We all know how the movie is going to end, yet the storytelling is brilliant enough to keep us on the edge of the seat. My Rating: 7.5