A necessary, more-than-successful work.

Rating: 8/10 (3 June 2010)

"The Hurt Locker", the 2010 Academy Award for Best Picture. While I maintain my soft spot for "Inglourious Basterds", and consider it an overall superior film, I am not at all upset at the Academy's choice: "The Hurt Locker" is a necessary work, an exposition of the mindless addiction that war can turn into and of the horrors practiced in it. Wonderfully directed, with carefully crafted sound effects and haunting camera movements (indeed, all of the technical Oscars it won were definitely well-deserved -- and don't be fooled by those who mistake the film's lack of clarity for bad directing, for it is only a very successful attempt at reproducing the war atmosphere), this film will pass on a very accurate anxious feeling from the beginning to the very last minute: you will awe, hate and wonder; you will feel both angry and relieved; if you are at all sensitive, you may even feel the urge to shed some tears at a couple of particularly well-achieved moments.
Original and overall extremely successful at what it attempts to convey, this film does have a stronger social/political message than "Inglourious Basterds": so, in spite of my personal preference for the latter, I must admit that I'm glad for the exposition this Oscar will give it, and can only hope that many people (especially the right people) will watch it and learn from it.
PS: Yes, this film WAS directed by a woman. Congratulations, Kathryn, on outdoing your ex-husband on all accounts.