Couch Critic: Zero Dark Thirty

4 out of 5 stars

This is a well-tuned film. From the editing to the performances to the script, everything is polished and exacting. It’s difficult to criticize Bigelow’s work, but perhaps that’s not because it’s perfect but rather because it’s a bit spiritless. There are no real cracks in which we can peer for a glimpse at what we are to feel. In the midst of such detail and precision, emotive moments seem stale or even rehearsed. That is to say that it’s hard to know what the characters are going through. We can see they feel, but what they feel is somehow beyond reach. I suppose my chief complaint is that, while Zero Dark Thirty is a great way to spend two-and-a-half hours, when the credits roll are we even sure we know why Maya is crying?

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