Best Picture of 2009?

Rating: 7/10 (10 February 2010)

With about one month left in Iraq, a group of American soldiers is tasked with finding and neutralizing explosives. This, of course, has some obvious hazards and side effects. Who will survive until the end of their tour?
As I type this, we're less than a month away from the Oscars. "Hurt Locker" is seen as the leading contender to the unstoppable juggernaut that is "Avatar". And this puts me in a quandary. I really take issue with "Avatar" getting so much praise for such an old plot, but then I see "Hurt Locker" and as great as it is... not really what I'd think of as a best picture.
It's a good war film, and has some political messages (as all war films inevitably do), but I don't know. Compare it to "Stop Loss" or "Body of Lies"... and it's not even nearly on the level of "Syriana". Kathryn Bigelow has made a fine film, and a good departure from her horror/sci-fi history, but I don't know if this is the big Iraq film we've been waiting for.
It was nice to see Guy Pearce back in the spotlight, though.