Movie Review: The Hurt Locker

June 26, 2009 by Brendan
Filed under: Movie News, Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Hurt Locker While doing some research on The Hurt Locker I was surprised to see that Kathryn Bigelow also directed Strange Days – I did not know that. I remember seeing that movie back in 1995 and really liking it. It was disappointing that the movie didn’t have a better box office at the time. Bigelow also directed Point Break and K-19: The Widowmaker. And she was married to James Cameron for a short time. She also seems to take a long time between movies – since 1995, The Hurt Locker is only her fourth major motion picture but it is without a doubt her best.

The Hurt Locker is the story of an elite U.S. Army bomb squad unit that is stationed in Iraq and presented with one of the most dangerous jobs in the war – disarming bombs before they kill. The main players in the movie are Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). James is the man who can work a bomb like a surgeon operating on a heart. He has disarmed hundreds of bombs and, from what we see, he usually does it with reckless abandon. Sanborn approaches his work in a more serious manner and tries to follow protocol. Not surprisingly Sanborn and James often butt heads. He and Eldridge are part of the support team that provides the cover for James as he throws on his protective gear and goes in to dismantle a bomb or ten. It is undoubtedly a thankless job and, as we see from the movie, requires a particular personality. Sgt. James certainly has that special personality to perform this precarious operation.

I’ll start by saying I really, really liked The Hurt Locker. I found all the scenes where bombs were being defused were brutally intense. A scene in the desert with the bomb squad and a group of British bounty hunters was equally powerful. But all the intensity and suspense could not have been made possible had it not been for the fabulous performance by Jeremy Renner. It is without a doubt one of the finest performances of the year and, at this point, should be considered for an Oscar contender come January. I really think that this performance is going to put Renner in high demand in Hollywood.

The Hurt Locker is as good a movie about the war in Iraq as I have ever seen. As I said before, Renner is spectacular. The story is filled with intensity and emotion. It will certainly make you appreciate what the men and women overseas are doing. Whether or not you agree with the war, this movie is not about the politics of it all. It is about the people who are risking their lives everyday. I think we’ve all seen and heard enough of the “what are we doing over there” commentary. If you want to know all about that, just watch a Michael Moore movie. The fact of the matter is that there are troops in the Middle East and they aren’t going to be coming home anytime soon. Watching The Hurt Locker will make you appreciate what the men and women are faced with when they put on a uniform everyday in Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever they are stationed. Those are the real heroes in this world. This movie should give you some recognition of that fact. (9 out of 10)

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