Absolute Mess

Rating: 2/10 (2 February 2010)

Not to knock this film too much, the bomb disposal scenes are gripping and full of tension, and the camera work is good. But that's it, the rest is a mess! It's directed by Kathryn Bigelow and details the chronological story of a bomb disposal team operating in Iraq with SFC William James (Jeremy Renner), joining as a replacement for the previous disposal expert. Renner's a maverick and loves the job. He doesn't play by the book and that appears to cause tension in the team initially. And this where confusion and disjointed story lines start to evolve? What's up the Iraqi driver standoff with Renner's character whilst he's on his way to defuse a bomb? What is Bigelow trying to suggest with Renner's character in a homo erotic position with his sergeant? And what about his team taking out Iraqi snipers one by one while what's presumably the British SAS run away in fear? Renner's character even takes on the role of detective in his spare time and risks his colleague's life to track some bombers down.
This story has too many "huh, where's the one suppose to go??" factors. Some scenes are long and drawn out, especially some of the more emotional scenes with Bigelow trying to shape Renner's character portraying him as caring and complex. It just doesn't seem to work or is overdone, especially how he relates with his colleagues.
To put a final point, I don't think it's worthy of an Oscar. If you want to watch it, there are some edge of the seat stuff, but the storyline is disjointed, lacking in direction and some bits that are downright unbelievable.