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.  

The Tree of Life (2011) // dir. Terrence Malick

Pitt and Malick take a transcendental look at family values and the emergence of the cosmos.

The Tree of Life attempts to chronicle the origin and meaning of life through a middle-aged man's (Sean Penn) childhood memories. Visionary Malick, presents us with his interpretation of the Big Bang - from the creation of the planets, the forming of the oceans, and the tale of evolution (even including dinosaurs). Eventually, we arrive at Penn's suburban childhood home in 1950's America, where we meet his amiable, nurturing mother (Jessica Chastain), and his overbearing, austere father (Brad Pitt). With an excellent film-making reputation preceding the reclusive Malick (Badlands, The Thin Red Line), coupled with endless 5 star reviews and awards buzz, I went into this film with extremely high expectations. Malick's notoriety for precision during the editing process (it spent almost 3 years in the cutting room until The Tree of Life made it to the big screen) only added to the anticipation. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed. There was a distinct lack of dialogue throughout, meaning that character development and interaction was minimal. Additionally, there was an absence of a structured storyline, making the film very ambiguous and subjective, partly as a result of the aforementioned lack of dialogue. The Tree of Life is inundated with biblical undertones and references, which are somewhat rendered obsolete by Malick's highly contradictory, excessively long interpretation of the creationist theory. It all seemed a little bit bizarre and inconsequential thus far. The films pace is painfully slow, and when we finally arrive at Penn's childhood memories, we encounter a large number of scenes illustrating different aspects of the same family dynamic - it soon becomes a little tedious. By the time we reach the incongruous final scene, the levels of pretentiousness are unbearable.

Having said that, The Tree of Life is a brave and innovative film, it just didn't personally resonate with me, but give it a watch and draw your own conclusions.