Different war movie, but how did it win all those awards?

Rating: 6/10 (7 April 2010)

Recap: A military bomb squad, consisting of three soldiers, is busy going into the last stretch of days before they are sent home. But with only 30 days left none of them dare to believe they will survive in an environment where everything might be a trap. But the squad has some internal problems when the squad leader is taking more risks than necessary. And how are they going to deal with this when they come home?
Comments: With as many as six Oscars, The Hurt Locker comes with high expectations, and unfortunately doesn't really manage to live up to them. It is a very detailed and meticulous movie, not told with a overall story or a defined individual enemy. Instead it is told in episodes where the squad is thrown into one unknown after another, and because of it is much more realistic.
Realism and plausibility is the key for this movie. There are no defined overly evil to combat, there is just war. There is no unnecessary or exaggerated effects or fights, but when used it is not low key. The soldiers are no super human heroes, but humans struggling to do their best. Therefore it is surprising that the movie abandons this now and then. In a few scenes realism is abandoned totally and simple mistakes are made knowingly or unknowingly, and it affects the entire movie. What disturbs me most is the tactics and organization used by the soldiers. If the USA Army sends it's squads, especially it's specially trained soldiers with a particular mission like in the bomb squads, without backup or support it the casualty rate would have been much higher. Sometimes the tactics used were just plain stupid. Other details just seem sloppy, or are we to believe that one is able to put out a car on fire with a normal hand extinguisher? I don't believe it for a moment, I know it to be impossible. If not it is a special almost magical extinguisher. That gives the movie a problem with credibility, and with a movie that aims for realism, that is a major problem and flaw.
A few odd choices from the awarded editing and directing crew too. In the middle of intense scenes where the soldiers are under heavy pressure, suddenly the scene is cut with a shot of gravel or casings in slow motion. Both the momentum and narrative of the scene is cut, and have to almost start over. In some movies such moments can augment the scene, here it just interrupts it.
It is a good movie, especially for those who wants to see a little different war movie. But there are enough flaws to disturb it's flow, and I can't really say it deserve all those awards. At least not in my opinion.
6/10