Movie review - The Hurt Locker
Posted on:
Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 12:50pm
The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is 2009’s diamond in the rough. Set amid post-invasion Iraq, albeit filmed in Jordan and Kuwait, the film follows the deployment of U.S. Army’s Bravo Company, in particular the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit. With these soldiers risking life and limb on every mission, Locker is its own ticking time bomb, counting the final days of the mission from day 39 to day zero.
Bigelow brings to light a tension-filled character study following the experiences of the EOD unit – reckless leader SSG William James (Jeremy Renner), by-the-book Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and afraid-of-dying Spc. Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). Each deserves special mention for performances that strike you with their brittle honesty. How Bigelow captures the testosterone and chemistry of these male characters is impressive, thanks to a brilliant script by Mark Boal.
Machismo, camaraderie, even hate spear the screen as at least two of the three struggle to survive another day. James, unfortunately for the remaining unit, is obsessed with the adrenaline rush of the mission, overeager to take risks when caution would achieve the same goal. It doesn’t diminish his tender heart when he deals with an Iraqi child. It doesn’t make you care for him less when he returns home, torn by the inanities of daily living opposite the horrors he witnessed in the war. The character is gut-wrenching with poignancy.
Familiar faces abound, Guy Pearce (LA Confidential), David Morse (John Adams), Ralph Fiennes (as if you couldn’t name at least five off-hand) and Evangeline Lilly (Lost) in the sole female performance in the film, but they don’t distract from what matters. Bombs hidden in debris. Insurgents. Lives on the line. Before Locker, I never could have imagined a war film so hauntingly mesmerizing. There are scenes which will quite literally take your breath away.
Sure, there will be drama as Bigelow squares off against her ex-husband, James Cameron, in the Academy Award race for Best Director and Best Picture. It’s been a tennis match of an award season between the two. Your bets would be better off hightailing it to the nearest video store or your Netflix account to see the real drama that is The Hurt Locker. This is an absolute must see.
My ratings: 5 stethoscopes
Editorial: Dr. Tanya Feke is a physician at Middlesex Hospital Primary Care - Durham and guest columnist for the Town Times. She was press credentialed to the LA Film Festival in 2009 and continues to pursue a love of film. Diagnosis: Movies reviews are rated on a five stethoscope scale.
