Iraq. futile but a blast for some, literally.

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2009)

noun. A figurative place where someone is said to be or will be, if they are getting or expect to be getting hurt or beaten.
You may not agree with the politics behind the invasion of Iraq (I certainly didn't support its invasion and will, forever, despise Tony Bliar (sic) for his misleading of the parliament) but whatever your stance one must surely support the troops that operate there.
This film takes a rather too pro-American stance in that it positions most Iraquis as "the enemy" in a fairy broadbrush way. But that is about its only flaw, and if you can overlook that we are talking epic war movies here.
The film draws you in from the get go as we follow the episodic adventures of a team of bomb disposal experts filmed (documentary style) on the streets of an unnamed Iraqui city.
The insurgents will go to any extremes (hence why they're known as extremists I guess) to ply their dirty trade, most gut-wrenchingly by creating a human bomb out of a murdered 10 year old boy (maybe it should have been called a cadaver bomb).
It's pretty much a three man performance but the acting plaudits go principally to Jeremy Renner, a died in the wool adrenalin freak, and his more considered colleague, played by Anthony Mackie. I am not familiar with either of their work previously but both deliver measured and moving performances.
The central axis of the film is around Renner's character SSgt William James who has defused over 800 bombs and approaches the task with a bravado that terrifies his more conservative colleagues. (In fact the movie's opening line essentially captures his ethos; "The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug." )But he always gets the job done in the most difficult situations. He's positioned as a cold and callous redneck but, as often in these movies, the cracks begin to show and an entirely more human soldier emerges which revolves around his relationship with a cheeky young Iraqui market trader (perhaps the only sympathetic Iraqui character in the movie). This ends with a delicious twist that I'll not spoil here.
There is no question that Bigelow deserves her place at the top table come Oscar time and might even win. It would be amusing to see her put one over on ex-husband James Cameron who is probably also in the running for Avatar.
This is a grown up movie with a really powerful hit. It powerfully captures the emotion of war and sense of place that few war movies do (Thin Red Line by Terence Malik being an exception as well as the excellent made for TV movie, Occupation, made earlier this year with James Nesbitt; and also set in Iraq).
A big fat 9 out of 10 from me.