Zero Dark Thirty (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

“Zero Dark Thirty is an intense, brilliantly crafted film that captures the raw reality of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The acting is stellar, the pacing keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the direction by Kathryn Bigelow is flawless. It’s both a thrilling and thought-provoking experience. A must-watch for anyone who appreciates powerful storytelling!”

As a former Intelligence Officer I enjoyed the movie even if not everything was explained. Like the reason why the helicopter crashed, which had to do with the fact that during training that the mock up compound had a chain linked fence that allowed for the helicopter wash to blow through and not cause so much updraft like the solid wall. The model of the compound was a great piece and looked just like the three that were actually made. I use to walk pass the one model everyday.I get that this is a Hollywood movie. People will gravitate to a film that is digestible and, ultimately, profitable. And depicting the reality of national security is challenging: much of the information is TOP SECRET, and a lot of it is just not dramatic or sexy at all. Reading thousands of reports and writing reports is just not that exciting.... can't be a profitable movie. If you work in the field you can pick apart a movie all day... I do it when I see gun fights in movies all the time.I could relate to Maya as a mid-level officer, being asked to "backbench" at a briefing—you’re briefing the guy who has to brief the guy—while she knows it’s her analysis that brought everyone together in the room. Supervisors sell this as "top cover" for the lower-level officer, and there is some truth to that. It’s easier for established officers to take a hit over a bad decision than for a new officer, whose career could end on an early miscall. When I became a supervisor, I did the same thing, and dodged my share of hits.The CIA doesn't like to be portrayed badly... and very sure of themselves... Saw this in Afghanistan. Black sites exist and they're not Disneyland.Jessica Chastain delivers a great performance... People just need to take it for what it is.. a great movie that depicts the events that lead up to the best payback we could have given UBL. I watch this movie every 2nd of May... as a remembrance to the co-workers I lost in the Pentagon.

I won't say I am an expert on 9-11 and UBL, but I've read many fine books on and around the subject: "First In" by Gary Schroen, "The Looming Tower"by Lawrence Wright, "Perfect Soldiers" by Terry McDermott, "102 Minutes" by Kevin Flynn, "House to House" by David Bellavia, "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell, "Touching History" by Lynn Spencer, "The Outpost" by Jake Tapper, "Triple Agent" by "Joby Warwick, etc.I love "Courting Disaster" by Marc A. Thiessen, which conclusively makes the case that waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques is not torture, and that Pelosi and the other democrats supported enhanced interrogation until it became politically expedient to do and say otherwise.So in the context of reality, after watching this movie several times, it is simply fantastic.With a wink-wink to Steve Buscemi in ConAir, "Define Irony"-- Obama bragged about killing UBL, but the liberals decided they did not want to give this movie it's deserved Academy Awards because it's about American justice and showing that enhanced interrogation does produce operational results.Define Irony 2: Obama decides is better to KILL Osama and other terrorists with predator drones rather than capturing, imprisoning, and then using enhanced interrogation techniques to get actionable intelligence like the story this movie so effectively tells... it is better to kill than capture alive.Although some of the events have been dramatized by Hollywood as they are in any movie (For example, the car scene with protestors pounding on Maya's car-- single white women or for that matter about all Expats are not driving cars alone in Islamabad... they didn't tell the SEAL's in Area 51 they were going after UBL that came much later... the inside of the two helicopters was pitch black for security), but these things make better screen drama.Much of this movie is spot-on accurate. There's a "Maya" at the CIA and she was the one that never gave up on going after UBL: God bless Maya for her tenacity and thank you Kathryn Bigelow for making this fantastic movie. This movie earned a dozen Academy Awards but the liberals and democrats could not honor American justice by awarding this movie what it deserved. Kathryn Bigelow nailed iconic scenes like UBL's compound and the Helicopter tail on the other side of the wall.Last, I love the soundtrack, especially the Canaries' "SEALS Take off" and "Flight to Compound".