Homer
my utter disrespect for the film stems from much more than is covered by the "critics". It is NOT, as it claims to be, a realistic representation of the process. It is in fact one of the least realistic representations of an intelligence led investigation I have ever sat through.
The CIA, like all American government orgs, is a lot more strict on conduct and regulations than any UK one - FACT. So, an intelligence operative like the female lead, who wigs out, swears at one of the Directors, and then quasi-bullies her boss by writing in marker on his office window would get put on suspension or sacked. Further, once she was found falling to bits in a weepy heap after her mate got blown up would be considered "tainted" and compromised, and thus re-assigned. FACT. I saw that happen to one of the best at the place I worked at - no matter how hot and reputed you are, once you are considered compromised emotionally that is that - you get reassigned. Once you are compromised all subsequent work you do on the case will be considered tainted, and the CIA do not roll like that.
Nobody, and I do mean
nobody, has stuck lines of target photos on a wall since the 1980s. Why? Because its a blatant security breach. Everyone in that room or walking through it, no matter what their clearance level, can see the wall, so nobody does it any more, nor has since long before I started work in intell. There are programs and software that are used for associational intell mapping, and I know the ones the CIA use as I used the exact same programs, as do 99% of law enforcement and intell workers in all western orgs.
No intell operative, like the female lead, is a one man band. In the film she fulfills the roles of agent, surveillance op, intell analyst, profiler and an interrogator. All of those are
separate disciplines, especially in a high end agency like the CIA. She is portrayed as some sort of real world James Bond. Utterly fake.
An intell agent would not, and never would, confirm a high level kill like at the end of the film. That would be done by experts. Looking at a corpse and making a judgement call is pure fantasy land nonsense.
That Homer is my take on it.
Utter cliched unrealistic codswallop sold as a quasi historical timeline of the Osama investigation. Its crap wrapped in gilding, and that Bigelow is trying to sell it as otherwise cos some unsubstantiated "CIA sources" supposedly sold her that tale and she sucked it up hook line and sinker is all the more sad and stupid.
And the end is a fecking mess. If you want to see how to film a chaotic operation watch BLACK HAWK DOWN.
At least BODY OF LIES and the Jack Ryan / Tom Clancy flicks didnt claim to be accurate retellings of stuff....but are a lot closer to the truth than ZDT
"Science flew men to the moon. Religion flew men into buildings."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
