I was lucky enough to see the Irish premiere of Zero Dark Thirty tonight in the Lighthouse Cinema (cheers Sean). It chronicles the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011.
The film follows a CIA operative, Maya, through the torture of detainees, intelligence gathering and a lead she thinks may bring them to bin Laden. It’s not easy to watch at times (scenes of waterboarding especially) but I think Katherine Bigelow has done an even handed job. The acting is spot on and the last 30 minutes will have you gripping the seat even though you know the outcome already. Definitely recommended.