#964. The Hurt Locker (2008, Kathryn Bigelow)

Have I Seen It Before?: Yes


Thoughts Before Viewing: Man I hardly even remember a thing about this one.   I remember seeing it in early high school when I was going through all of the best picture nominees for 2009.  I really didn't expect this to win that year.  I'm going into this one with neutral expectations.

Running Time: 131 minutes
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
Written By: Mark Boal
Primary Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty




Summary: During the Iraq war, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.



My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one.  It's more entertaining that I'd remembered it being.  For me, the enjoyment primarily stems from the consistent high level of tension.  It's one of the best examples of the documentary hand-held approach that many films in the mid-late 2000's had.  It's also a very good exploration on the psychological effects of war.  Although I didn't feel it necessarily brought anything new to the table, it's still very fascinating. 


Even if it's not my favorite film of 2009, I'm actually kind of glad it won best picture that year.  Kind of amazing that Bigelow is the first female to win best director.




Does It Belong In The Book?: Yes.  Captures the Iraq war in a visceral manner.


My Rating: 7/10