A mature and suspenseful masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2016)

This excellent look at the life of a bomb disposal expert serving in Iraq acts as an eye-opening exploration of war on the front line. Deservedly winning many Oscars for its taut realism and focused screenplay, I found myself caught up in an endless world of pain as genuine guys find themselves up against terrorists who'll do anything to see them dead. Provocative and shocking, it sees Bigelow on top form as director, exploring the themes thrown up by the screenplay while at the same time making a satisfying viewing experience.
Jeremy Renner, who played a similarly heroic role in 28 WEEKS LATER, is very well cast as the slightly crazy munitions expert who leads his team into many nail-biting showdowns with highly explosive devices. Decent cameos are handed out to Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, and David Morse, and meaty character parts are given to the likes of Anthony Mackie who helps humanise the story. Essentially this is a series of set-pieces, with the shoot-out with the snipers a particular highlight for me. The open ending is spot on and I liked the way that politics never get in the way of good storytelling. A genuinely mature film dealing with modern warfare in an intelligent, suspenseful way.