When I first read this review of Zero Dark Thirty (2012), a quirk in the reading app I use led me to believe it was written by a critic I’d never heard of. “My god,” I thought, “I have to read more of this amazingly perceptive and eloquent critic!” Turns out it was Richard Brody, who once again put into words the vaguely deep feelings I had after watching the film. He explains perfectly the mix of technical mastery and conscious hollowness that left such a deep impression on me. There ain’t nobody like him.
The only thing I would’ve added is to call the film a post-Western.
