The Hurt Locker

THE HURT LOCKER (2009): Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Screenplay by Mark Boal. Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly, Christian Camargo, Christopher Sayegh

If you haven’t seen a great Iraq War movie yet, it’s because one doesn’t exist, until now. The barrage of politically-charged war movies has been painfully bad and tragically disappointing. However, The Hurt Locker transcends the superficial genre of Iraq War movies, as it presents an intense look at a US bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad (“an intense look” is an understatement) and a straight story that presents each character clearly and their actions precisely. The Hurt Locker does not preach. Not for a second. From minute-one my stomach was clenched and my heart was racing. The story is laid out with a stark, realistic simplicity, however it is this simplicity that allows the viewer to immediately tune into the layers being presented on screen, as the ferocity of the violence is so intrinsically linked to the internal psychological warfare taking place in the minds of the soldiers that each aspect carries the same edge-of-your-seat intensity. Here, love is supplemented with addiction and adrenaline is the drug. So, this is war. Here, it’s the love of and addiction to both life and death and for Jeremy Renner’s Sgt. James (as far as I’m concerned, go ahead and give him the Oscar now) it’s this addiction that keeps him going, as he stares life and death in the face simultaneously. The Hurt Locker does not need another rave review. But here I am, adding my voice to the chorus singing it’s praises. Go. See. This. Movie.