The Hurt Locker

The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.

A lot of movies will open with an epigraph (from a poem by Chris Hedges) to set the tone, mood, explain the title, etc. with The Hurt Locker the epigraph (quoted above) is more of a thesis, particularly as the text begins to fade out, emphasizing the words "war is a drug." Having stated that, it spends the next 127 minutes demonstrating how it can be a drug. And it does so brilliantly.

The film follows an United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit in the last month or so of their tour in Iraq, both in the line of duty and between harrowing assignments.

While there are some killer lines, this isn't one of those movies you rave about dialogue in. Nor is this a movie that dazzles you with camera work -- although there are some shots that I want to replay over and over. I really appreciated the time most shots get--none of the short, choppy shots to heighten tension/excitement. The effects aren't over the top, opting for realism (such an oddity).

What the film excels is in a very honest, and fairly apolitical feel (one of the reviews I read about it complained that the politics were too muddy, and therefore the movie was subpar. Talk about missing the point). It's not so much a commentary on this particular war, but on those who fight in wars, and what happens to them. As the subjects are the soldiers, it comes down to the actors to make or break this film.

There are brief (sometimes too brief) appearances by marquee (or marquee-ish) names: Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly, they make their appearance and then disappear. The film is carried by the not-yet household names: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty.

As one of the 156 viewers nationwide of ABC's The Unusuals last year, I came into the movie liking Jeremy Renner. It took maybe 15 minutes for me to realize I didn't have a clue what a good actor he is. Renner plays Staff Sergeant William James, the explosives expert the film focuses on. He will risk his life to diffuse, deactivate, whatever the bomb no matter the cost to himself.

Anthony Mackie plays the sergeant who handles the situation around James, making sure it's safe for him to take care of the explosive, with the assistance of Geraghty and others. He doesn't like James' style and attitude. Sgt. Sanborn is strictly by the book, get the job done the right way.

The only hiccup for me was spotting Better Off Ted's Malcolm Barrett beneath the helmet and cammo, which almost took me out of the moment, almost. But that's such a minor point I've taken 5x as long to describe it as it's worth.

The film has one of the best ending sequences I can think of--it makes the point strongly and clearly, but doesn't condescend to the audience and over-explain (as the tendency is so often today), a great way to conclude a great film.

Frequently when it comes to awards season, I'll have a favorite or two that I pull for, and am disappointed when they're beaten. But when I hear about The Hurt Locker losing some award (especially to a cliché-ridden disappointment like Avatar), I've found myself having a flash of anger. It's such a good movie, and had such a powerful impact on me, that failure for others to recognize is just wrong. (an irrational reaction, I realize, but frankly don't care).