The Hurt Locker

This was a hard movie to watch.

I have heard different things about this film from veterans and people in the military that say that this movie is incredibly exaggerated and not realistic at all. While I would say that's probably true, I don't think it down plays the fact that this movie is intense and has some great acting in it.

The movie follows an EOD team in Iraq in their last 30ish days of their deployment. In case people don't know what EOD is, they are the guys that defuse the bombs.

In the beginning, the team made up of Sergeant Sanborn (played by Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (played by Brian Geraghty) lose their team leader (played by Guy Pearce oddly enough) to a roadside bomb. They are assigned a new team leader and that team leader is Sergeant First Class William James (Played by Jeremy Renner)

From their first call, the team realizes that James is a different kind of soldier and plays by his own rules. He immediately butts heads with his team with his devil may care attitude and risk taking ways.

Its soon realized in the film that James has an addiction to the adrenaline that comes with defusing bombs. An addiction that his teammates do not have.

The one problem I have with the film, or at least the marketing of this film is that this is perceived as the main point of the film. Its almost saying that there are a lot of soldiers who have this addiction. I know there are soldiers who get caught up in this stuff and keep on going on deployments. That's interesting and it makes for a great character, but that shouldn't be the perception of the people in the military or in EOD. And I would hope that's not the point the movie is trying to make.

For me, the real great parts come in the inner turmoil of all the characters.

Sandborn and Eldridge saw their team leader die in front of their eyes. Eldridge has immense guilt because he believes he could have saved him. Sanborn has fears of dying in this dangerous environment. Its the conversation that he has with James at the end that really delves into the humanity of these characters. I think that's the profound part of this movie and the thing that, I imagine got the movie its Best Picture Award in 2010.

But if your just focusing on the rash decisions of Jeremy Renner, then you're missing the point of the movie, or at least the points you should be focusing on.

Jeremy Renner's character is really a complex character. There's a weird balance between Renner being an adrenaline junkie or if he's doing this because he wants to help people. Chances are its both. But he is a complex character, don't get me wrong.

But there are so many other themes within the movie that his character really helps. This movie, I would hope, isn't about soldiers who need an adrenaline fix, I would hope its about the fear of death in American soldiers in Iraq. It doesn't have to be a political statement, its just a story of humanity and bravery despite being scared out of your wits that one wrong move could mean your death.

As far as individual performances go, its a great cast.

Jeremy Renner kills it. The scary part about this movie is that all the characters, while their actions can be ridiculous and exaggerated, he really makes you feel and contemplate the psyche of this obviously disturbed soldier.

I don't think it was till the end that Anthony Mackie starts killing it. There's a lot parts where Sandborn is just kind of the whiny realist. I mean he's got some valid points and he's probably the most rational out of all the team, but because the movie is focused on James, Sandborn just becomes a little bit of a bummer. But again, its not until the last 45 minutes of the movie that he really picks it up and makes me happy for any movie coming out with Anthony Mackie in it. Seriously, the guy is great.

But the performance that, I think, got the most reaction from me and seemed to be the most interesting, was that of Brian Geraghty as Eldridge.

Geraghty nails it!

This is a guy who feels immense guilt. There are several points where his character is just sent into shock and holy shit, when he goes into shock, he goes into shock.

There's just a heartwrenching part where his psychologist goes out with them on a job, like Eldridge requested and the psychologist is killed in an IED blast.

Eldridge just goes into shock. Calling out the name of the guy, saying, he was just here! We have to find him! And all James can say is, He's dead. We have to go!

That scene just blew my mind and was just heart wrenching. Unfortunately, my disk drive went haywire and paused right at that scene. But by god it was good.

As far as the other cast goes, there's a lot of random high profile cameos in this movie.

Guy Pierce, Evangeline Lily.

For some reason Ralph Fiennes plays a private contractor going out to look for high value targets in Iraq. He meets the team in the middle of the desert and it leads to a really fascinating scene with a sniper and Brian Geraghty dealing with some of his demons. Needless to say, that is also a great scene. But its just strange that Ralph Fiennes had this kind of random cameo. It wasn't a big part, it could have been given to anybody, why Ralph Fiennes?

Now this movie did win best picture in 2010. It ran up against movies like District 9, The Blind Side, Inglorious Bastards, and Up in the Air. Not only that but it cleaned up in a lot of other awards.

Now I can't really say that I totally agree with it being Best Picture worthy. I haven't been good at predicting things since... well ever.

All I can say is that the movie is intense, its gritty, and while its unrealistic at times, its one of the best movies about Iraq that I have ever seen.

Its just damn good, that's all I can say. It has its problems. I mean why would three EOD guys go and hunt down a bomb maker when, as they say, there were a lot of infantry guys who have that as their job. But whatever, I can overlook all that just because the acting and feeling I got from this movie was just too damn good.

But those are my thoughts on The Hurt Locker. What about you? Do you think it earned its best Picture Award? Comment and Discuss Below.

I'll leave you with this. This is a news bit on the Military's (or at least one bomb disposal teams) thoughts on the movie. I think this will give you a good idea of the Military's thoughts on it... sorta. Enjoy!