Inaccuracies aside, this is an excellent film

Rating: 8/10 (8 March 2010)

With this film having such a limited release, I had never heard of it or had any interest in it until it started winning awards. And obviously with a Best Picture Oscar under it's belt I had to break down and actually see it for myself.
The movie starts off with a quote stating that war is a drug. To me, this encompasses the entire point of the movie. Just like people get addicted to heroin and cocaine, people can get addicted to a lifestyle, the lifestyle here obviously being the military. But as I said, that quote encompasses the entire film, so you won't necessarily understand it until the end credits roll.
Iraq War inaccuracies aside, the movie was incredibly intense and well shot. It had a "realistic" feel to it even though it may not be the most accurate war movie ever made. But it never claims to be. The gritty, almost documentary-style camera work and spot-on directing made it feel like these were real men going through real-life situations.
There is a subtle depth to each character that builds throughout, so you must pay attention to understand their reasoning for doing certain things. The plot of the movie is very hard to explain because of the way the story unfolds, it's hard to give a general synopsis without divulging key points to the story and or writing up another two or three paragraphs. But the beauty of it is that the story is so well told, in the end, it makes sense. Pretty much all you need to know is that the main characters are a bomb squad in the army and they have about a month until they get to go home. What happens throughout the film is what happens over the course of that month.
Excellent performances from all the actors(especially Renner) ensure that there isn't a dull moment in the film's entirety. It also boasts an extremely fitting original score which helps set the tone for certain scenes.
It's hard to explain the film because it's a movie that must be seen to be understood. But from sniping in the desert, to disarming bombs in street cars, the movie is masterfully crafted in every scene. It's a film that will resonate even after repeated viewings and it will go down in history as Kathryn Bigelow's crowning achievement.
An overall excellent film as long as you put the war inaccuracies aside. It showcases the ugliness of war, but yet depicts how the lifestyle can become addicting. Everybody loves something. People love what they're good at. And some people... are good at war.
10 out of 10.