The Hurt Locker

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Written by Mark Boal

Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty

As the film states "war is a drug". After the first fifteen minutes of the film you will understand perfectly what that qoute means. The Hurt Locker takes control of you and doesn't let go for two and half hours. It tells the story of small bomb sqaud of three in Iraq who risk their lives everyday in life or death situations as they defuse bomb after bomb, and the tole the human psyche takes.
There is almost a taboo on movies based on the Iraq War. People feel that it is too soon, or that all these movies fail because they are so one sided and only try to appeal to certain crowds. The Hurt Locker doesn't have any political agenda its trying to shove down your throat, its just the story of three soldiers. Whatever your views are on the war, it won't try and make you change your mind. It's hard to imagine the life of soldier since I am not one, but The Hurt Locker is the very best attempt from a film to try and make the audience see life through a soldiers eyes. Even if that window of time is only for a couple hours.
Every scene is packed with drawn out suspense so intense the audience will be holding their breath, gnawing their finger nails, and jittering their legs the entire time. One wrong move and things will end horribly for Staff Seargent William James and his men. There are spots of humor with witty banter between the men. But the tone changes on the turn of a dime and your sucked right back in.
The Hurt Locker is almost as perfect a war movie as you can get, and is the best movie this year by far. Do yourself a favor, find the nearest Indie Film theater, and go to the next showing. It's a movie that is not to be missed and should become an instant classic.

5 out of 5 stars