A beautiful and modest film...

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2009)

What do us movie lovers desire? Well, it depends on your mood, but I find for the most part, the answer is intelligence. We desire films with an interesting story as well as something cool to look at. Katheryn Bigelow's new feature brings together all of these pieces to form an extremely well-presented artistic showcase.
It is the story of the Bravo company in the US Army's Explosives Ordnance Disposal division. They are sent to various parts of Baghdad with a simple mission; find the bomb(s) in the area and deal with them. This can mean disarming them, or in some cases, strategically detonating them. The company leader, Sgt. William James, played by Jeremy Renner (SWAT, Dahmer ), seams to have a death wish. He wanders the explosive-filled streets with no regard for his safety, or the safety of his team members. The story is dictated by the number of days left in the Bravo company's rotation through Iraq. The movie begins with longtime teammates Sgt.Sandborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) just praying to survive the antics of Sgt. James for their last 35 days.
Jeremy Renner delivers a raw performance, and it is perfectly complimented by Anthony Mackie's own gem. Mackie finally gets away from the corny teen flicks that seem to have plagued this talented actor's career for a long time (We Are Marshall). With the exception of short-lived cameos from Guy Pearce and Ray Fiennes, the cast of B and C-list actors proves that fame is not what defines a performer's talent.
What sets this movie apart from most war movies is not only the excellent acting, but it's intangibles as well. A truly artistic display of everlasting images and cinematography only add credibility to the already incredibly realistic feel of the movie. The pace of the film is almost tidal, pushing waves of suspense on the audience time after time. Nearly every bomb scene is original and leaves your heart racing. Sgt. James' cockiness might be perceived as unrealistic, but as the audience comes to find out, it fits the character perfectly, and he nudges this film along with every cigarette he smokes.
What most impresses me with the film, is its modesty. The sign of great film-making is what the director, writers, and actors know what the movie needs to be, and don't try to pound it into something its not. If you are expecting shorthanded raids of Iraqi camps with no-look gunfire while Rage Against The Machine plays in the background and every US soldier doing somersaults followed by kill shots, this film is not for you. If you want to watch a suspenseful display of realistic warfare and lasting imagery with all of the politics filtered out, cough up the $10.50. Two nail-bitten thumbs up from Coosh, and come February 2010, you WILL hear about it again.