Now Showing: Kill Bin Laden

 

Kill Bin Laden

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Historical

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Writer: Alex Conn

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Liam Neeson, Jamey Sheridan, Annette Bening, Stanley Tucci, Adam Scott, Stephen Lang

Plot: The film begins with footage of 9/11 and the two twin towers going down and news of also the Pentagon and the United 93 crashing into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers stormed the cockpit. Also news footage of Bin Laden taking responsibility for 9/11 and his threatening messages to America promising more attacks.

There is a text saying Osama Bin Laden is the most wanted international criminal around the world and he is on the loose. The CIA has been trying to find Osama since 9/11 and he has been a mystery for American officials and bad leads have led to officers losing lives like in the attack at Camp Chapman where a double agent brought a bomb and bombed Camp Chapman after he agreed to give information.. Footage from the Camp Chapman attack is shown.

It is April 2011 President Of The United States Barack Obama’s secretary says Leon Panetta (Liam Neeson) the CIA director is here to see him. Obama (Jamie Foxx) says send him in. He shakes hands with Barack Obama. They make small talk for a little bit. Panetta says to Obama we may have found Bin Laden. He shows Obama the drone footage of a man who’s 6 ft 5 exactly the same height as Bin Laden pacing through the garden every morning. He says that CIA analysts all call him The Pacer. The compound has high walls and a covered balcony which stood out. Obama asked what other intelligence did you have that Bin Laden is in the compound. Panetta says that the CIA tried to pose as polio vaccine doctors to get the blood confirmed but they weren’t allowed.

Obama asks how did you get the intelligence Panetta says our agents tracked down a man that we believe is the courier for Al Qaeda who brings the messages from Al Qaeda to the TV news channels by hand instead of electronically to avoid being found out. We know that his name is Abu Akmed. We have been tracking this guy since 2002 and from information we got from bugged phones and from tracking him we believe he’s led us to Bin Laden. Obama says so what’s the cost benefit analysis. Panetta says there are clear indicators that it could be Osama. The bad thing is it’s located right near the Pakistani military academy and unless you intend to inform the Pakistanis who might not be trustworthy.

Panetta also says that when we interrogated Khalid Sheikh Muhammad about a possible courier we bugged him warning other prisoners not to say anything about the courier.

Panetta when he leaves gives Obama the audiotape where the courier Abu Ahmed Al Kawait calling his friend saying he thinks he’s being recorded and the friend saying go with Allah. Panetta says this was recorded while we Abu Ahmed was dropping off something then coming back to the compound. Obama says it’s definitely interesting and I want you to keep on this lead.

Obama has a burger and he thinks of his 2008 promise to kill Bin Laden and to make that a priority.

Obama informs his war cabinet: Hillary Clinton (Annette Bening) Secretary Of State, Joe Biden (Jamey Sheridan) Vice President and John Brennan (Stanley Tucci) National Security Advisor. Obama presents the intelligence that was given to him the tape of Abu Ahmed being recorded and also the facts of being tracked down to this large compound in Abottabad Pakistan. He says it’s right near the Pakistan Military Academy known to the United States military as the Pakistani West Point.

Obama then goes around the room for people’s opinions. John Brennan says I think we should go forward I’ve been in national security a long time and this courier lead is nothing new. We have evidence that he may be in Pakistan. This is consistent with everything we know about Osama Bin Laden.

Joe Biden says i think it is too big a risk. If we tell the Pakistanis and he’s in there I think you’re right that the Pakistanis may move him. But if we do the raid and it’s a failure then we look like fools in an election year no less Biden says there were more evidence there were WMDs in Iraq. . Hillary then interrupts and says that this was a signature Obama campaign promise. Obama said this on the campaign trail if we kill Osama Bin Laden that’s going to be the biggest thing on your presidential resume and the biggest middle finger to your doubters. Hillary says we have the information.

Obama says the other question we have is hypothetically we give the go ahead to the operation how do we do it. Do we do a bomb like some have suggested or we bring in Seal Team Six. Those are the two options he has been given. He has brought in Admiral McRaven (Stephen Lang) who basically says that bombs would not risk American lives but we do risk flattening the compound to the ground and even incinerating the body which could leave him unidentified. Potentially this will lead to having the wrong guy and not even knowing it. . . McRaven says the other option is bring in my guys. McRaven says it’s risky but we’ll know it’s him. The cabinet agrees that if the operation happens it should be the SEALS . Obama greenlights the trial runs and training for a hypothetical mission.

Joe Biden says to Obama in the rose garden you really want to risk your legacy on this? Obama says every intelligence official I’ve talked to has been behind this. Obviously it’s not greenlit yet but it’s looking good for it. Joe says Barack just thinks what if he’s not there and it’s someone with a gun and they shoot back and the SEALS die because of it. Barack says it’s the Navy SEALS we're talking about, not the 8th grade hall monitors. Joe Biden says to Obama just think of Desert One which was a well meaning mission to rescue hostages but failed miserably and very may well have cost Carter the election the point is this has happened before in American history. If this mission misses that’s your legacy you’re the politician who fucked around with American lives when we had more evidence that WMDs were in Iraq. If this thing goes like that that’s all Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are going to be talking about. All of our progress on Wall Street reform, the ACA all out the window because of a well meaning but flawed mission.

Obama asks Secret Service to buy him a pack of cigarettes. Secret Service officer says I thought you quit smoking Obama says these are extreme circumstances. I’m making a decision that could very well cost me my legacy, the election everything. The officer says yes sir Mr President. Barack then when he gets back goes out and has a cigarette.

Obama runs into his chief foreign policy speechwriter Ben Rhodes (Adam Scott) and informs him of the discussion to do the raid or not . Ben Rhodes asks Obama what way are you leaning on. Obama says he’s leaning towards going to the raid. The 9/11 families deserve justice and many intelligence officers are sure of this. Ben says I’ve known you since May 2007 when everyone was sure you had no chance but you trusted your gut and look what it got you. Point is I think you should trust your gut. I can tell your gut is with this and that same gut that won you the presidency then we should trust it. Ben Rhodes says that this will bring a lot of happiness to the victims of the Khost Camp Chapman attack. Obama has flashbacks to when Leon Panetta tells him excitedly about the possibilities of this former Al Qaeda member confessing and coming clean about Bin Laden’s whereabouts. Then the explosion at Camp Chapman when the suicide bomber who lied to the government.

Leon Panetta comes to the war room and gives even more intelligence. Panetta describes how we have tracked the courier’s car down several times now. He is dropping things off often at news agencies which is typical.

Biden questions Panetta’s logic he says news agencies you say then why haven’t we seen an Osama Message To America video in a whil couldn’t it be some for Pakistani Disneyland if there’s a Pakistani West Point they’re better be a Pakistani Disneyland. Panetta then says that this can be print as well and we do have Al qaeda news fairly often and there is no such thing as Pakistani disneyland. The rest of the team is smirking at Joe Biden.

Ben Rhodes has a cigarette with the president s. Obama says if I get this it will be like my moon landing. I promised the voters this in 08 and if I ok this mission it will be a uniting moment for the country. Ben says when Bin Laden gets killed who’s going to be the next villain that when they die will unite the country and give them a nice bit of dopamine. Ben Rhodes says I don’t think people are going to have that same happiness when Aynan Al Zawahiri is killed by the US government. Obama quips hopefully when.

He also shows even more footage of a man who’s 6 ft 5 the exact same height as Osama Bin Laden everyday on the roof garden we know someone with the exact height and beard is in that house. We have tracked the courier from news agencies back to this Abottabad compound. I think this is some serious evidence not to mention the compound is built high security you think a civilian with nothing to hide is going to have a house like that.

Joe then questions if this house is close to Pakistani West Point or whatever why the Pakistanis haven’t found him and turned him in. Leon says we know some in the Pakistani government and you know this Joe are in the pocket of Al Queda that’s a fact. If you want to deny that I got a bridge to sell you. The table does a final vote and everyone except Biden supports the raid. Hillary adds that there is more of a danger if we let this go then if we go with it. We can’t let the Pakistani government move him or outside forces moving him. Obama says he’s going to sleep on the decision. Before he goes to bed he reflects on the entire search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to the 2009 Camp Chapman attack that cost 9 intelligence analysts’ lives and at the funerals the parents telling Obama don’t give up on the mission that cost our loved ones’ lives .

Obama is in his room and he has a Republican debate. They are all criticizing his foreign policy. Obama shuts the tv off. He goes to the balcony and he runs into Ben Rhodes and they both have cigarettes together.

Ben Rhodes wants to talk about the Bin Laden hunt as he’s been writing different versions of speeches. Barack says hold your horses man. Let’s see how this all works out.

Ben says to Obama so you don’t think that you’re going to do the raid. Obama says no no no I’m leaning towards it but you know if this goes south I’m fucked. Every news outlet will talk about how we sacrificed American lives meaninglessly on bad intel. Every Fox News talking head will talk about how I embarrassed America. Ben says I get that but think of the gain of being the President who’s middle name is Hussein being the one who got Bin Laden plus that drone video was pretty convincing to me.

The next morning when Obama wakes up and he showers and gets dressed and sends his daughters off to school with Michelle. After this he tells the team we’re going with the raid on May 2. Biden defeated tells Obama if you think this is good I guess I’ll support you. But if this fucks up just know Joe Biden warned you. Obama tells Admiral McRaven the mission is a go.

The Saturday before the raid is the White House Correspondents dinner and Obama attends and does his usual routine. Sees Leon Panetta also at the dinner and says we’re going to make history soon and drinks to that.

The next day Leon Panetta goes to church and is praying about the mission. The team all meets at the White House and discusses the mission.

That night Obama calls Admiral McRaven and wishes the SEALS good luck. They are given real time updates. Many of the White House officials order food. Barack Obama orders burgers for everyone as they wait for updates. Hillary says she’s been thinking about this motherfucker since 2001 and we’re finally on the verge of killing him. Joe says don’t get ahead of yourself. Hillary says give me a fucking break. Brennan says if we get this guy this is one of the biggest wins in the history of the Republic. Brennan brings out a bottle of vodka. Obama asks to take a break and goes to the White House gym and goes on the bike. Ben Rhodes and the rest of the team exchange 9/11 stories and stories of where they were when they saw the twin twin towers go down or some of them have cousins that were on some of the flights. Just as that happened it is reported that the helicopter crash landed. The team sends Ben to alert the president. Ben Rhodes rushes upstairs to say the Seal Team Six helicopter crash landed. The landing is on Twitter. Obama freezes and falls off the bike.

When Obama comes back he learns that the SEALS are back on it but the Pakistani military and people are seizing in. We cut to the compound where Navy SEALS are guarding the property from onlookers. One of the SEALS shoots Osama Bin Laden and confirms it is him and then shoots Khalid Bin Laden. The SEALS confirm they killed Bin Laden.

The Situation Room celebrates and Biden admits he was wrong. Ben Rhodes starts writing on his laptop the speech that Obama is going to give to the nation. In the Knick of time Rhodes gives Obama the speech. Panetta, Brennan and Obama reflect on the long search for Bin Laden and do a toast to the 9/11 victims and the victims of the Khost attack in Camp Chapman. Panetta tells Brennan and Obama that Osama’s body will be given Islamic funeral rites and buried at sea in the Indian Ocean. As Panetta is speaking this is happening on screen. There is an Imam on board the ship giving the last rites to Osama’s lifeless body and the body is lowered before it is dropped into the Indian Ocean.

The film ends with Obama announcing to the American people that “The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden” . Ben Rhodes says to Joe Biden jokingly it wasn’t Desert One.. Biden has an annoyed grin. Ben Rhodes tells Obama that apparently one of the SEALS found weed growing in the garden. Obama says shut the fuck up Ben. Obama says” just kidding Ben it’s the morning Ben do you want to have some coffee with me to celebrate this incredible accomplishment”. Ben says it would be my honor. They walk off screen.