Zero Dark Thirty (2012) // dir. Kathryn Bigelow

Four years after her Best Picture Oscar glory with bomb disposal flick, The Hurt Locker, Bigelow sticks to her military sized guns, but this time with even bigger ammo. Returning to the warfare genre, Bigelow attempts to tackle the story behind the capture of the worlds most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden. After only being consigned to history for two years, this is a brave step. But is Zero Dark Thirty a genuine insight into the biggest manhunt ever, or just Hollywood propaganda?

It is almost impossible to talk about Zero Dark Thirty without drawing parallels with recent smash-hit, award winning TV series Homeland - which tackles similar Al Qaeda related situations, but with a fictional (although still very real) threat. Homeland has pretty much set the benchmark for 'war on terror' drama, keeping it interesting and entertaining without being overly complex. Despite, in parts, feeling like an overlong episode of Homeland, Zero Dark Thirty lacks its TV counterpart's edge of seat intensity and characters for the audience to truly care about. With a wilful first act, it begins on steady footing, but following a nosedive in the almost purgatory-like middle, it struggles to get back on track for its would-be climactic ending.

The ensemble cast is solid, with familiar face after familiar face appearing in various governmental roles (Mark Strong, James Gandolfini, Jason Clarke, and bizarrely, John Barrowman), but this overabundance of big names prevents any real memorable performances - we only witness snippets of what could have been with more attention to character detail and development. But it is poor Joel Edgerton as the Squadron Team Leader, who comes off worst. Despite receiving high poster-billing, his minimal screen time and lack of interaction, ensures that he remains almost forgotten about after the end-credits have rolled. It is left to Jessica Chastain to deliver the standout performance Zero Dark Thirty so desperately needs. Bearing more than just a passing resemblance to Homeland's Claire Danes (there's even a little Sarah Connor from The Terminator in there too...no...just me..?), Chastain exudes the same toughness, and gritty determination and passion towards work. But where Chastain's Maya differs from Danes' Carrie, is that she lacks the personal backstory necessary for Chastain to convey any relatable human qualities and vulnerabilities from screen to audience. Despite this, Chastain delivers, adding another genre string to her already varied acting bow, with a powerhouse performance that is the driving force behind the whole operation - and, consequently, the entire film.

So, is it just Hollywood propaganda? Given the subject matter, there is a danger of Zero Dark Thirty's finale becoming an opportunity for America to give itself a high-five; but with only one "woo-hoo" to be heard, Bigelow manages to skilfully avoid the self-aggrandising clichés of patriotism by cleverly opting for a more pensive and solemn ending.

Never quite recovering from its slip-ups and stumbles, Zero Dark Thirty is an insightful yet flawed first chapter in the bin Laden manhunt. Await further adaptations with baited breath.  

Django Unchained (2012) // dir. Quentin Tarantino

Set two years before Lincoln passes the 13th amendment outlawing slavery, former dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) simultaneously frees and enlists the help of slave, Django (Jamie Foxx). In return for Django's knowledge surrounding bountied plantation owners, Schultz agrees to help him rescue his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of the infamously evil plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

After getting a taste for subverting history (and subsequently killing off Hitler) in 2009's Oscar-winning Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino is at it again. Swapping Nazi-occupied France for the antebellum Deep South, he attempts to tackle the extremely controversial, and not-so-distant dark past of American slavery. This is a topic that would generally be broached with a level of sensitivity and historic accuracy, but in the hands of neo-noir auteur Tarantino, it becomes a pop-cultural riff on a classic genre; the spaghetti western. Bold move, you say? Tarantino ain't scared.

Judging by the title you'd assume Foxx's titular slave would be the centre of the Django Unchained universe, with the supporting cast orbiting around him, right? Wrong! It's all about bounty hunter Waltz; swaggering across the screen, and brimming with so much irreverent charm, that Foxx occasionally feels like a backstory in his own film. But eventually, Foxx frees himself from his metaphorical chains and steps out from Waltz's shadow in the show-stopping shoot-em-up finale. Despite Waltz's slight superiority, the pair do make an unlikely, compelling and almost brotherly pairing; the films first act feels more like a road-trip buddy movie than a satirical swipe at slavery. But this mix and match of genres is Tarantino's forte, and he navigates between them all with complete ease. Stealing the limelight entirely is DiCaprio, on terrifyingly brilliant form as malevolent plantation owner Calvin Candie. As one of this generation's most unrivalled actors in terms of commitment and consistency, this should've been the year he finally took home that golden statuette. But he has yet again been criminally overlooked in this years awards season; you can't help but feel that the Academy Awards are an annual wedding in which DiCaprio is always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. 

Django Unchained is a minefield of in-jokes and trivia which will make die-hard spaghetti western fans 'yee-haw' with glee. But for the rest of us, we can simply revel in the enjoyment of what is a typically Tarantino affair. With his inimitable B-movie meets blockbuster mash-up style, he eschews CGI in favour of the old-school effects he was inspired by. All the elements of previous Tarantino offerings are here - the gratuitous swearing and use of the 'n' word, the anachronistic score, the loquacious dialogue, and the ultra-violent B-movie effects - and Django Unchained is all the better for keeping faithful to his well revered style. It might not be an entirely flawless film, but it's the imperfections and incongruities that make Django Unchained both mind-boggling and mind-blowing in equal measure.

Ultimately though, Tarantino is a true cinephile making films for other cinephiles, and the level of care and precision put into his films ensures maximum viewing pleasure for his audience. One of the finest, yet atypical and unorthodox filmmakers of our generation; it's fair to say no one makes a film quite like Tarantino.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) // dir. David O Russell

Following an 8 month stint in a mental hospital, bi-polar Pat (Bradley Cooper) heads home to re-build his life and reconcile with his estranged wife, Nikki. But things become complicated when Pat meets a recently widowed and depressive Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). In exchange for Tiffany's help in contacting and reconnecting with his wife, Pat (reluctantly) agrees to be Tiffany's dance partner in an upcoming competition. The pair form a rocky, but touching, friendship and when the dancing competition approaches, it is more than just friendship on the line...

Achieving the same level of success as his previous award-winner, The Fighter, was always going to be an arduous task for O Russell. A dramedy about mental health might seem like a hard-sell, but with the appropriate balance of sensitivity and humour, and two charming yet believable protagonists, Silver Linings could just be the perfect follow up. Without a doubt, casting Cooper and Lawrence was O Russell's masterstroke. Both leads are extremely likeable, and the chemistry between the two is positively electric - cue a multitude of intense stares and almost-kisses. Cooper displays gravitas and convinces as a bi-polar sufferer, but it is scene-stealing Lawrence that keeps Silver Linings engaging. By incorporating all the feistiness of Katniss, and the vulnerability of Ree from Winter's Bone, Tiffany becomes a complex amalgam of Lawrence's previous notable roles. However, it is the injection of Lawrence's own, natural, razor-sharp sense of humour that gives Tiffany an extra, more relatable, dimension. The nod from the Academy, and the recent Golden Globe win are undoubtedly deserved. The supporting cast are equally as strong, with a both refreshing and reassuring turn from Robert de Niro. After so many years of headlining plotless 'paycheck' movies - (I know we all have to pay the bills somehow Robert, but COME ON, you were Travis Bickle! Where along this road of soulless 'comedies' did you lose your integrity, Robert, WHERE?!) - he retains his dignity, and slips back into a role of some substance as Cooper's football-loving, gambling addict, OCD suffering father. But, it is Animal Kingdom's Jacki Weaver as Cooper's stoic, yet passive, mother who is the anchor struggling to keep her family grounded.

So often has Hollywood portrayed mental illness as dangerous and violent, that Silver Linings is a rare delight; highlighting the everyday vulnerabilities and hardships that coexist with mental health such as, familial strains and social struggles. But it only dips its toe into the ocean of these hardships, rather than swimming around in its murky depths. Anything that is on the borderline of being "too serious" is quickly countered by something amusingly kooky; after all, it still needs to be kept audience-friendly. But as the final act starts to meander down the very well trodden path of familiarity, the time arrives for the romance that has been simmering under the surface, to bubble over for the inevitable happy ending. And thus, the issues of mental health are swept under the proverbial rug.

Silver Linings is a feel-good comedy drama with an ending to soften even the hardest of hearts, but disappointingly leaves a lot of its core issues either underdeveloped or unaddressed.