ZERO DARK THIRTY

Kathryn Bigelow’s adrenaline-soaked masterpiece, The Hurt Locker, featured a maverick bomb defuser for whom war was an illicit drug. Zero Dark Thirty, the director’s triumphant follow-up, further explores the complex psychology of people at war, but the narrative is far more ambitious in scope. Jessica Chastain (The Help, Lawless) stars as Maya, a steely CIA operative whose obsessive quest to locate 9/11 culprit Osama bin Laden ─ the perceived linchpin in the conflict with al-Qaeda ─ threatens to consume her. Punctuated by unsettling scenes of torture, and climaxing with a visceral and action-packed raid on a Pakistani compound by Navy SEALs, Zero Dark Thirty is a gripping exposé on counter-terrorism that favours sober realism and moral ambiguity over Hollywood hyperbole and moral posturing. Journalist Mark Boal deserves praise for his richly-detailed script, as do Chastain and her Australian co-star Jason Clarke for their simmering performances. Buoyed by a stellar ensemble cast, Bigelow’s latest is fearless, thrilling and vital. (JH) *****