I was on the edge of my seat...

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2010)

Before I get to the meat of the review, I should point out that I rarely give movies scores of 10. This one came very close and I was about to give it a 9. However, although I am very hesitant to give such a lofty score, considering the film's modest budget and mostly unknown actors, I can't help but be impressed. I also can't really say whether or not it deserved the Oscar for Best Picture, as the only other film I've yet seen among the nominees were "Inglorious Basterds" and "Precious". "Precious" was perhaps as good, but so different it's impossible for me to say which of the two is best--plus is this even necessary? Now that I mentioned "Precious", it and "Hurt Locker" are great for completely different reasons. The big strength of "Precious" are the actors and the script. The actors emote heavily and the film is about, in many ways, a catharsis, or letting go, of secrets and pain. "Hurt Locker" on the other hand, is much more an action pick. And, while the acting and script are very good, the point seems to be on the suppression of pain and emotions--quite the contrast, now that you think about it.
The film begins with the team leader of a bomb disposal unit being killed on the job. His new replacement is a sergeant who is quite different. He does NOT do things by the book and seems to take many often unnecessary risks. In some ways, he seems like a man with a death wish. However, over time, his character becomes so much more. He is a complex man...he just struggles to suppress this.
The interactions of the three men on the team, the almost non-stop edge of your seat tension and excitement and the amazing direction make for an exceptional film that you really should see. However, I'll forewarn you--the language (like that of many military men) is a bit rough and the film is bloody and is NOT for the squeamish. Oddly, despite this, I was surprised by the audience at the theater--they were mostly post-70 years old--I was, at 45, a comparative baby!
One final thing I should point out which is, perhaps, the greatest strength of the film. No matter if you are on the left or right on the political spectrum, you will probably enjoy this film--unless you absolutely demand that a film takes a strong political position (this was obviously true for a few of the reviewers). The film never really says that the war is good or bad, just or unjust--it just portrays the lives of some extraordinarily talented and brave men. Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal did a good job in keeping the film focused on these men and it sure made me feel a lot of respect for anyone who could do such an awful job.