The Hurt Locker

Have you seen this movie?

I had not heard much about this film before the Oscars. I knew that Kathryn Bigelow was the director and that it involved disarming bombs in Iraq. Enter Netflix. And wow -- what a film. Sometimes it takes me a few weeks to decide on a movie; my initial reaction, I couldn't believe a woman made the film. It's an action packed war movie. It's not about the Iraq war per se, but about how men are affected by the things they see and do.

The main characters are a three man team lead by US Army Sergeant First Class Will James (Jeremy Renner). Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) complete his team to dispose of bombs left throughout Baghdad. When the movie opens, their company has 39 days left in their deployment. This movie follws those days with an intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I had one very large problem with it though. The character played by Jeremy Renner is a dangerous risk-taker -- he seems to revel in the thrill of getting the job done regardless of what is safe or prudent. I cannot believe the Army would enable a soldier to put others in that kind of jeopardy during combat.

That said, it was quite good. It's high-pressure, non-stop action from the beginning. I'm a war flick girl. Love war movies. Ever seen Patton? If you haven't, you should and in Blu-ray. It's worth the time.