Movie - Zero Dark Thirty

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAtWcvCxPhc&w=560&h=315] Gosh it goes on, and that’s with me closing my eyes for most of the first third to avoid having nightmares after watching the torture scenes. I had to do the same when those same photos were appearing in our press. It’s only when they showed the Obama speech about ‘Americans will not torture prisoners’ that I felt I could look up. Phew.This ‘historical drama’ is based on the story between 9/11 and the capture, or should I say killing of OBL (I can’t bring myself to write that name in full on my blog) some ten years later. It’s a story that needs to be told and while I’m pretty sure the film makers are probably not like this, the film has a huge dose of ‘America is great.’ They could not come across as more arrogant and that grates with me.Why everyone in it, feels the need to use foul language the whole time, even when talking to their superiors is beyond me. Please tell me they aren’t this ungracious and impolite in real life? The West Wing it isn’t, nor is it 24 but it’s not as infuriating as Homeland (I switched off after the first series). In fact, the film is well made and does move along at a satisfactory pace, with the tension fairly consistent. Having said that, I’m not hanging on the edge of my seat at all because, well, I know the outcome. Zero Dark Thirty (what?!) holds no punches as far as depicting the torture scenes (from what I heard and saw from behind my hands) and how determined America is to catch this guy that’s eluded them for 10 long, embarrassing years.One of the best scenes is when the team of agents is hauled through the coals by a superior officer when they have come up with nothing but spent many $$$ and lost lives over years. He didn’t need to use bad language and yet got his point across; rightly so.There is full disclosure in that the story is said to be based on interviewing those that were in the front line. Oh yes, the lead is a ‘strong female character. Isn’t it refreshing to see that?’ blah, blah, blah.7/10Smile fact 3/10