Might be a slow burn for some, but from a film making perspective The Hurt Locker is a masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (20 April 2016)

There is a lot to admire about this six Oscar and best picture winning movie. The movie ultimately takes three fairly normal soldiers to tell a story that explains the opening line of the movie: "War is a drug". The story is about two soldiers in a bomb disposal unit as they receive a new captain (Jeremy Renner), who is very reckless and also quite self-centred. The movie is two hours and ten minutes long (not including the credits) and is suspenseful from start to finish. There are many edge of seat scenes involving life or death scenarios where Jeremy Renner's character tries to shut down bombs before they go off, that can be very suspenseful as we, like the other soldiers, can only watch in anticipation as we wonder whether or not he will make it. This is slightly undermined later on in the movie when we find out that the same person is some sort of record breaking bomb disposal captain, and has previously disposed of 867 bombs. This took away the suspense for me as it assures you that he will almost definitely survive every time, just as he always has. There are a couple of war action sequences which are very prolonged and entertaining, partly because of the realism depicted in these scenes and partly because of Kathryn Bigalow's suspenseful directing and cinematography. She does an unforgettably good job at the directing which is consistent throughout the movie; and she thoroughly deserved to be the first ever woman to win best director at the Oscars.
The casting in this movie is curious, as big actors like Ralph Fiennes, Evangeline Lilly and Guy Pearce were all in the movie, but either died within five minutes of their opening scene or only appeared for a couple of minutes anyway. They felt that cameos that had appeared completely out of nowhere. The casting for the rest of the characters was great, with Anthony Mackie delivering what I believe was the best performance of his career; and Jeremy Renner's Oscar nominated performance also hitting all the right notes. All of the characters, but these two especially, were boasted with a fantastic and very convincing script.
Looking at it from a film making perspective, this movie is a masterpiece. Every detail is on point and the costume design, sound and effects are all done spotlessly. However this movie is bound not to resonate with everyone, as the characters are very unlikable at times and some may find it dull also, as some of the scenes do little to advance and plot.
In the end this is a very respectable movie that you will not forget, even if it may not work for everyone.
+Directing & Writing
+Well rounded performances
+Consistently suspenseful
-Unlikable characters
8/10