Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (19 April 2014)

Brilliant, gritty, dramatic portrayal of a US Army bomb disposal unit in Iraq. Searingly intense without being manipulative or contrived (there is no music within scenes, for example, so the intensity is not artificially lifted by music).
Can seem to drift at times, but in the end it all makes sense, and has a place. The punchline at the end makes it all worth it.
Kathryn Bigelow directs with a deft and varying touch, revealing details which seem insignificant at the time, and omitting details and events which you would think would be important. In the end, it all makes sense. The use of home-movie-style hand-held cameras in certain scenes can be a bit disconcerting at times, but ultimately suited the scene.
Superb performance by then relatively unknown Jeremy Renner. He well deserved his Oscar nomination.