Director: Benh Zeitlin
Writers:  Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin, Based on the stage play “Juicy and Delicious” by Lucy Alibar
Stars: Quverzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, & Gina Montana

Synopsis: In a semi-post-apocalyptic world, where parts of the world have been flooded, Hushpuppy and her daddy live in an flooded area called the Bathtub. With her father’s ailing health and the world literally falling apart around her, Hushpuppy must learn how to be courageous and loving in the face of fear and hatred.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Benh Zeitlin has proved out of the gate that he is a phenomenal director. Beasts is his first full-length feature and it already stands a film worthy of praise. Zeitlin tells his story so beautifully with soft camera work. The “beasts” in the film are magnificent and startling without being cheesy or overly terrifying. They appear as if maybe they could be real, similar to the feel of the film as a whole. The film leaves and impression on the the viewer. As I leave Beasts, I remember its last line, “Once there was a Hushpuppy, and she lived with her daddy in the Bathtub.” Yes, she did indeed.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCRIPT
Beasts of the Southern Wild is not a script most studios would look at and give a green light to. Yet, Zeitlin & Alibar knew the gold in their hands. The story does not explicitly fall into one genre and yet ultimately it is a love story of a father and daughter. With its themes of love and courage, the story is highly accessible to audiences; however, it keeps a distinct feeling by creating its own world and never leaving it.

Grade: A

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
The performances in Beasts of the Southern Wild drive the film, and it is without argument that with different actors, Beasts would be a different and lesser film. The film stars unknowns actors who after Beasts will no longer remain on unknown. Quverzhané Wallis carries the film as Hushpuppy. She transcends the bounds of child acting and plays a role not too old for her (Jodi Foster in Taxi Driver) or a role that is merely a kid being a kid (Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine). Wallis exudes more emotion and life in this role than Meryl Streep, quite a triumph for a nine-year old. Dwight Henry plays Wink with should visceral anger and buried tenderness that it does not feel like a performance but an actual father trying to provide the best for his daughter. The supporting cast all portray real life characters struggling to survive. The feel has almost a documentary feel because of their true to life performances.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCORE
Dan Romer and Benh Zeiltin’s score for Beasts is my favorite score of the year! The score has a New Orleans Jazz/Bluegrass feel to it. It’s full of mystery and sympathy and adventure; the same aspects that make the film itself so spectacular. It is ridiculous that this score failed to receive a nomination for best score. The film’s main theme sweeping yet it does not overpower the story and characters on the screen; it only enhances them, serving the exact function of the underscoring. Romer and Zeitlin’s score is also an excellent composition apart from the film. I’ve been listening to it for a few weeks now and it only gets more satisfying with every playback.

Grade: A+

[divider]

Overall Grade: A

Director: Ben Affleck
Writers:  Chris Terrio, Tony Mendez (book), Joshuah Bearman (article)
Stars: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman

Synopsis: A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Ben Affleck being snubbed for a Best Director nomination is probably the biggest joke of this year’s Oscars. With Gone Baby Gone and The Town, Affleck is now 3 for 3 as a director with Argo. From opening the movie with a blend of storyboards and video footage of the events that led up to the hostage situation to closing the movie with a thrilling and well-choreographed escape, Affleck’s direction is top notch. The way he is able to blend scenes from the States and from Iran is exceptionally well done and really showcases what he’s capable of and makes me really excited for what he does next.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCRIPT
Yes, believe it or not, Argo is actually based on a true story. Crazy, huh? But the movie about a fake movie is both gripping and surprisingly funny and the ability to go back and forth so seamlessly is what really makes the movie a joy to watch. While it may be a little too Hollywood-y with coincidences that only seem to happen in movies, it didn’t detract from the overall experience.

Grade: A-

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
From notable stars to bit actors whose faces you would know but names you probably wouldn’t, Argo has what may be the best assembled cast for any movie of last year. Stealing the show, however, is Alan Arkin, who is nominated for an Oscar for his role as snarky Hollywood producer Lester Siegel. He, along with John Goodman, provides all the funny moments in the movie and has one of the best lines of any movie last year. Arkin’s role reminded me of his role in Little Miss Sunshine, in which he won an Oscar for, and I couldn’t get enough of him. He is brilliant.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCORE
Argo‘s score by Alexandre Desplat is effective, especially during the final sequences in the movie, and is much better than his score for Zero Dark Thirty. However, it could’ve been better. Also, the period-centric songs from bands like The Rolling Stones, Van Halen and Led Zeppelin were a nice little touch and added to the overall vibe of the movie.

Grade: B+

[divider]

Overall Grade: A

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers:  Tony Kushner, Doris Kearns Goodwin (book)
Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones

Synopsis: At the height of the Civil War, America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, must balance keeping his divided nation together while keeping forward progress by granting freedom to slaves. The film chronicles the passing of the 13th Amendment and all the work leading up to this momentous legislation.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Steven Spielberg has proved he knows how to make a movie; Lincoln is no exception. Spielberg creates an epic with raw emotion, not letting the story get away from him or letting the emotion become melodramatic or corny. Spielberg’s trajectory has been erratic over the last decade with critical failures such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and War of the Worlds as well as critical darlings such as Munich, War Horse, and The Terminal. Lincoln sits as a crowning achievement of Spielberg’s most recent work and reminds us all that he is still a magnificently gifted director who brings in all necessary elements to tell a transfixing story.

Grade: A-

[divider]

SCRIPT
Lincoln‘s script functions as a typical biopic with a slightly higher than average sense of humanity than other standard historical biopics. Lincoln’s character is painted not as a larger than life man but as a man with enormous responsibility struggling to do his best for his countries and people. The banter between Lincoln and his cabinet is genuine and downright hilarious at times adding to even greater beauty in the film.

Grade: B+

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
The performances in Lincoln for the most part are top-notch. Daniel Day-Lewis slips on the character of Lincoln with ease as he disappears into the role of Abraham Lincoln. Day-Lewis has proved he is one of today’s greatest chameleon’s since he not only play a role but embodies that characters (e.g. There Will Be Blood, The Last of the Mohicans). Tommy Lee Jones also gives a standout performance as Thaddeus Stevens. Jones has always been a talented actor but he rarely offers much depth to roles beyond sheer drivenness. Besides Lincoln, Stevens is the most noble character in the film and every fiber of Jones’ performance portrays that. The only poor performance is Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. Field attempts to portray an unstable Lincoln a la Sybil but only comes off as trying to hard rather than mentally ill. Field is a terrific actress, but this role does not fit her well. The ensemble cast adds to the overall high quality of the film but Lewis and Jones steal the show.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCORE
John Williams’ score for Lincoln is just that, a John Williams’ score. It is sweeping and full of grandeur, but it sounds too much like many of Williams’s other scores. The underscoring is tender and understanding adding to the humanity of the film, but it lacks any of the epic qualities of Williams’ better scores (Star Wars, Munich, Raider of the Lost Ark). The score feels old but not civil war old, just 30 years too late old. Overall, the score is good but it serves merely a functional purpose without ever transcending and becoming a piece on its own right.

Grade: B

[divider]

Overall Grade: A-

Director: Michael Haneke
Writers: Michael Haneke
Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert

Synopsis: Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple’s bond of love is severely tested.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Michael Haneke brings us an amazing film filled with love and emotion, heartbreak and frustration, and of this year’s best films. Some of Haneke’s shots are interesting as they give you a perspective of what it’s like to really live the couple in this film. The camera would literally just sit there as the actors are performing the scene and moving around, giving you an incredible sense of realism. He got incredible performances out of the actors, the scenery was perfect, and you feel for the couple as they as they cling on to hope (or try to). My only knock on the direction is there is no score, so it’s incredibly quiet and unusual. As someone who thinks the score is a huge part of movies, I was disappointed and it was weird. Outside of that, Haneke did a great job.

Grade: A-

[divider]

SCRIPT
Hanake also wrote the script for Amour. I love the story here. The dialogue is pretty good and there are some scenes in this movie that left me really wanting to engage with the characters. The script is centered around a subject matter that would be hard to deal with and I can’t imagine the couple’s pain, but I love how they try to fight for it and cling onto whatever hope and love they have left.

Grade: A-

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva are amazing in this film and really captured my heart. I love how they interact with each other and they had amazing chemistry. Trintignant was great and as a guy, I really felt for his character and what he was looking for. Riva deserves every bit of her Oscar nomination and she makes worth watching this movie, if for nothing else.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCORE
Unfortunately, there is no score. It doesn’t ruin the movie by any means, but could of added some value.

Grade: F

[divider]

Overall Grade: A-

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writers: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCarprio

Synopsis: In antebellum America, Djano, a slave, is separated from his wife. With the help of a bounty hunter, Django is freed and sets out to reclaim his wife from the plantation owner who holds her captive.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Django Unchained is a tightly planned and executed film. With a runtime of nearly three hours, Django never feels boring or unnecessarily lengthy. Tarantino knows his story is epic and the time he takes to tell his story reflects that, yet he also keeps his audience entertained. Django Unchained walks a beautiful line between farce and tragedy. In Django, I laugh at the macabre, overly gruesome murders of characters, yet almost weep when others characters are killed. Most films that attempt to tackle both these emotions end up as bipolar flicks  like Hancock and Click which leave me not knowing what I feel and craving therapy more than continued movie watching. It’s been a while since I laughed and gasped at the same time as much as I did while watching  Django Unchained. Additionally, Tarantino knows how to pay homage to his muses. Tarantino’s visual style especially in action, mirrors spaghetti & American westerns. In fact, the climactic shootout sequence almost directly parallels the shootout at the end of Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. With the excessive flying blood, the dramatic use of slow motion, and the perfectly timed underscoring, the scene is transcendent and will stand as one of the greats in action movie history. Django Unchained is an excellent film, but not Tarantino’s best. Reservoir Dogs and Inglorious Basterds still reign supreme as their stories are tighter, but Django Unchained is certainly a Tarantino masterpiece.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCRIPT
Tarantino and the written word are an inseparable couple. Anything he pens not only tells an epic story, but creates a world that cannot be categorized by any one word except Tarantino. Django Unchained‘s story is without measure. Its storyline is epic and unlike any other film before. A slave and a bounty hunter teaming up together to rescue the slave’s wife, would in another writer’s hands become exploitation or schlock. But with Tarantino at the helm, a story worthy of Best Original Screenplay is crafted. The script’s only downfall is the Leonardo DiCaprio’s character is painted. He is an excellent villan, yet I still had trouble buying him as a villan. The fault does not lie in DiCaprio’s performance, but in Tarantino’s script. His character’s villainy does not make complete sense. If he had a backstory, I would have understood him more, but otherwise he was just evil for evil’s sake (which may have been Tarantino’s purpose all along; if so, I rescind). Except for this one minor flaw, the script ranks among Tarantino’s finest.

Grade: A-

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
Jamie Foxx is the baddest of assess. Foxx owns the role of Django, first as a reserved, downtrodden slave and ultimately as a warrior who fights for himself, his love, and his brothers. Christoph Waltz shines as always but this time in his brightest light yet. Waltz proves he is no longer pigeonholed as a deliciously evil villain, but instead creates a supporting protagonist who is not only admirable but endearing. Django also includes turns from Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson who play the film’s lead antagonists. I did not believe it was possible to hate Jackson, but when he plays a character as foul and black-hearted as Stephen, a once beloved American treasure easily slips into the role of public enemy number one; in short, Sam Jackson’s performance is one for the ages. DiCaprio also plays bad well but to a lesser degree. There is still too much sympathy in his character, but the fault lies not in his performance but in Tarantino’s script (see above). Other cast members, including cameos by Jonah Hill, Don Johnson, and Tarantino himself, add to the ensemble and make the casting spot on.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCORE
Like some other Tarantino films, Django has no original score, but instead a soundtrack. And, man, what a soundtrack at that. Throughout his film career, Tarantino has had not only a great eye, but an ear that makes his movies that make them distinct and allow them to transcend the normal bubble they might have lived in otherwise. The music on the surface doesn’t make sense (hip-hop in 1850?), but the heart and humor in the film come even more alive with these musical selections. The soundtrack includes spaghetti western showdown music a la Ennio Morricone and Jerry Goldsmith as well as rap music by RZA and Rick Ross. Nothing in the soundtrack meshes, which is likely Tarantino’s purpose; however, due to this in-cohesiveness, there is little to bind the film together as a whole. The film does not suffer for it, but it not as memorable as films with tight themes and leitmotifs.

Grade: A-

[divider]

Overall Grade: A

Director: Rich Moore
Writers: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston, Jim Reardon
Stars: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch

Synopsis: A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Rich Moore, who’s mostly known for TV, does an absolutely incredible job with Wreck-It Ralph. The visuals used in this are incredible and used stunningly. The video game references are top-notch, funny, and perfectly used. The story he takes us down is fun and exciting and he pieces this movie together masterfully. The voice actors are great in this movie and Moore puts together maybe my favorite music ever from an animated film. You see video game references from Mario Brothers, Pacman, and so much more. The video game innuendos are all over the place and it’s hysterical. I couldn’t have been more pleased. This movie has already won a lot of animated awards already, as it should, and Moore had a lot to do with it.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCRIPT
The script for this movie is incredibly intelligent. The use of other video characters draws your interest immediately and it creates a story that we all can relate to. We all want to fit in and have a group of friends and this journey takes you down Ralph’s story of acceptance and love. In the middle of his journey, he meets up with an unlikely companion and I love how they play that off. The candy and science references are genius. There’s even a really good twist toward the end that I thought was written very well and you may not see coming. The dialogue was funny and the stores were really well thought out. It was slightly cheesy at times, but in a good way and what you’d expect from a kids film.

Grade: A+

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
John C. Reilly is amazing as Ralph in this film. He was perfect for the character and you could tell he was really invested in the part. He does a great job of drawing emotion and using it in his voice. If anyone else played Felix besides Jack McBrayer, I don’t think this film works as well. If you’ve seen Jack McBrayer in any of his other films, you know what I’m talking about. His awkward humor and soft voice was perfect. I absolutely loved it. Jane Lynch was also great as Calhoun and was another perfect cast. As a mean-spirited, hot-tempered, trash-talking character, would you really want anyone else there? I didn’t think so. I didn’t really care for Sarah Silverman as Vanellope though. I may be biased as I’m already not a huge fan of Silverman, but it didn’t do it for me. It wasn’t the worst of Silverman by any means and it didn’t ruin the performances or characters. I think someone else could of done a better job though.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCORE
Henry Jackman is a name that you want to get familiar with when it comes to music in Hollywood. The composer who did X-Men: First Class, is at his very best in his score for this film. The score to Wreck-It Ralph may be my absolute favorite of 2012 and is so much fun to listen to. The light, video game-y tones bring out my inner child and it’s awesome. It brings such a happy feeling to you when you listen to it and you can’t help but love it and have fun with this music. It absolutely brought a high energy, fun element to this movie that made it what it is. The soundtrack also got help from Skrillex, Owl City, and Buckner & Garcia that made this soundtrack one of the best of 2012.

Grade: A+

[divider]

Overall Grade: A+

Director: David O. Russell
Writers: David O. Russell, Matthew Quick (book)
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro

Synopsis: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Silver Linings Playbook is one achievement by David O. Russell can be proud of. While I’m not a huge fan of his work outside The Fighter, Russell takes us on a journey that is full of emotion, drama, and even some action. The roller coaster ride you feel is an amazing accomplishment and it never ends. Throughout the whole movie there are turns and spins that have your emotions going in every direction. You almost aren’t sure what to expect next and that’s what I love from Russell in this movie. He gets great performances out of an amazing cast and by the end of the film you can’t help but be completely drawn in to what he’s doing here. He even turned Chris Tucker into a character that is bearable to watch. There’s been good hype about this movie and for good reason. It’s third on my list for the top films to win Best Picture.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCRIPT
Russell again getting the nods to a great script. I love what he does here with the story of an emotionally broken man meeting up with a woman that is essentially in the same spot. I’m not sure what you’re past experiences are, but anyone that has had a broken heart before can somewhat relate to these characters. Now, while they kind of go off the deep end just a little bit, the script brings you in enough to relate. The dialogue and the characters are written perfectly. This movie has such a sense of realism that the performers are set up to knock it out of the park. And that my friends, is why most of them are nominated for Oscars.

Grade: A

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence both shine bright in this film. They were equally as important to the movie as they were to each other as characters in the movie. They had a chemistry that was almost palpable. They were so believable it was great to see them both be in a different role that what we’ve seen from them in the past. This is the best Robert De Niro film I’ve seen in awhile and probably my favorite since Men of Honor all the way back in 2000. He does a phenomenal job and definitely earns the Oscar nom.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCORE
The score was done by Danny Elfman who is one of Hollywood’s best composers. If you don’t know him, get to know him. His score from this film is actually pretty good, but it’s such a backdrop with everything else going on that you hardly notice it. It’s worth a listen to if you have time, but not an essential piece to the film.

Grade: B+

[divider]

Overall Grade: A

Director: Ang Lee
Writers: David Majes, Yann Martel (book)
Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain

Synopsis: A young man, Pi, survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery.

[/info]

DIRECTION
Life of Pi is visually out of this world and reason enough to warrant an Oscar nomination for Ang Lee, who won for Brokeback Mountain. But then you add in the fact that Lee shot this almost entirely in sequence with a relatively unknown cast and nearly lifelike CGI animals serving as major characters and it’s easy to see why he could win on Sunday. Plus, the way Lee utilizes 3D, with it being subtle and immersive and not gimmicky, is something that hasn’t been done since Avatar.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCRIPT
Based on Yann Martel’s 2001 novel of the same name, many have called Life of Pi “unfilmable.” But with Lee and an adaptation by David Majes, that is far from the case. The overall structure works well with an older Pi telling a writer about his adventure, letting us experience it just as the writer is hearing it. With that being said, however, some may lose their patience with the slow pace (although it’s never boring), its spiritual undertones and an ending that isn’t straightforward.

Grade: B

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
Suraj Sharma is special as the title character, Pi. Most of his scenes take place in a boat with a CGI tiger and the way he’s able to interact with something that isn’t even there and show so much emotion when sometimes nothing is being said is something most actors just can’t do – especially when they’ve never acted before. That’s right: Sharma has no other acting credits to his name, which makes his performance even more astounding.

Grade: A

[divider]

SCORE
Mychael Danna’s Oscar-nominated and India-infused score is both beautiful and haunting. It is used to its full effect in Life of Pi as it sometimes has to set the scene when there isn’t much being done or said. The highlight of the score is the Oscar-nominated “Pi’s Lullaby,” as it’s just a soothing piece with vocals by Bombay Jayashri.

Grade: B+

[divider]

Overall Grade: B+

Director: Tom Hooper
Writers: William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Victor Hugo
Stars: Hugo Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried

Synopsis: In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever.

[/info]

DIRECTION
I loved what Tom Hooper did in this film. I thought the set design, the costumes, and the performances were all great. The opening scene with “Look Down” was incredible and set the tone between Crowe and Jackman’s characters. It left you with a high energy level that I thought carried throughout most of the film. There was some downtime in the middle of the film, but I thought he brought it some great humor with Sacha Baren Cohen’s character. The direction to have then sing live on set was the best choice he could of made in my opinion. The live singing really brought these characters to live and gave the actors and actresses room to really fill their voice and bring out their “A” game. It was a bold move not know how it would turn out, but it was a decision that made it all worth it.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCRIPT
A strong script by a team of writers who know screenplay and musical performances. This movie allowed for some great acting and the songs were fun to listen to. It even had it’s own original song that was sung by Jackman’s character that I really like a lot. The talk singing sometimes was unnecessary which brought the grade down for me a little bit. I don’t mind that a little bit, but most of it made the scenes drag on, uninteresting, and sometimes even confusing. Overall though, it didn’t ruin the script for me and I loved it.

Grade: A-

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
The performances in this film were just incredible. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway killed it. I loved Hathaway in the film, but because of her role and the amount of screen time she had, I’m not sure if it’s worth the nomination for an Oscar. But that being said, I did love what she did on screen when she was there, so kudos to hear and I support her in the nomination. How about Amanda Seyfried in this movie? She was amazing and pulled off her character well. I really felt her pain and she drew me in with her emotions and she was going back and forth between her love interest and the love she has for her father. Speaking of, I loved Eddie Redmayne in this as well. He was the perfect guy for that role and really drew you in to the character. His love and gratitude is all over his character. Russell Crowe is my only downside to the performance. While Crowe fits the character of Javert, a ruthless police officer, his voice didn’t sell me at all and I didn’t think he was great by any means.

Grade: A-

[divider]

SCORE
Since it was a musical, there is no original score so I’ll grade it on the music overall. The music for this film is done very well. The orchestra, led by conducter Stephen Brooker, was amazing with this orchestral tones and sometimes dramatic melodies. I loved it all.
Grade: A+

[divider]

Overall Grade: A

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writers: Mark Boal
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton

Synopsis: A chronicle of the decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden.
[/info]

DIRECTION
Starting with horrific sounds of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks played over a black screen and ending with the raid of bin Laden’s place of hiding, Kathryn Bigelow’s direction is top notch. Bigelow, the Oscar-winning director of The Hurt Locker, crafts a tight, visceral and sometimes pulse-pounding movie. She puts the viewer right into the events taking place, whether it’s the disturbing torture scenes (which forced one of my friends to leave the theater) at the beginning, the myriad of gripping dialogue exchanges in the middle or the riveting finale. With Zero Dark Thirty, she clearly proves she is one of the best directors working today.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCRIPT
Mark Boal, the Oscar-winning screenwriter for The Hurt Locker, expertly pieces together a decades worth of information into a telling, almost documentary-style narrative. While the movie is nearly three hours long (with very little action and an ending that is already known), Boal still manages to keep the viewer engrossed and anticipating what will happen next.

Grade: A+

[divider]

PERFORMANCES
While the performances are great all around, this movie belongs to Jessica Chastain. She is a one-woman show as we see all the events take place through her eyes as the straight, fierce and determined CIA agent Maya. She deserves all the recognition she has been garnering and will likely win the Oscar in a couple of weeks. Jason Clarke also does solid work as Dan, a ruthless CIA agent who introduces Maya to the brutal workings of a US military black site in the opening moments. He does a good job of transitioning from brutish to likeable, sometimes even in the same scene.

Grade: A+

[divider]

SCORE
The score by Alexandre Desplat isn’t very memorable, but it was effective. That’s all you can really ask for with this kind of movie.

Grade: C

[divider]

Overall Grade: A