After hearing about it for the last few months on various podcasts (Totally Rad Show, Slasfilmcast, Filmspotting, etc.) I finally got to see The Hurt Locker. With a theatre full of G.I.’s no less.
Maybe I should start by saying, I don’t dig war movies for the most part. Generally because they lack the things I look for most in film: story & character development. Usually it’s a bunch of grunts shooting things. But, there are a few I enjoy, and some I downright love. Kathryn Bigelow has forced me to add another notch to that bedpost of “love.”
Starring Jeremy Rennner, The Hurt Locker is…lets call it a case study, of what it takes to be part of the Army’s bomb squad, focusing on Renner’s William James and his unit (filled out by Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty). The story doesn’t amount to much more than “day in the life” situations, granted these situations are far more intense than anything any civillian will likely ever face. Sniper battles, suicide bombers, restless natives, IEDs; all in a days work for these guys. Where the movie really succeeds is in its characters.
Renner plays his part with equal parts bravery, insanity and cool. The film asks several times why it is that William James is the way he is, sometimes it’s subtle, and in one specific occasion, directly. Thankfully, it never tries to answer that question. Instead, we get brief glimpses into the man that lives behind the bravado. There’s a scene that involves an almost endless eisle of cereal boxes that I found particularly revealing.
The relationship between Renner and Mackie is extremely interesting. The two are constantly battling each other physically and emotionally, something akin to a sibling rivalry, but when things start to go down they always have eachothers backs. It’s very much a familial relationship.
In between the wonderful character moments we get some of the most intense action/drama I’ve seen in quite awhile. Movies like Wolverine and Transformers wish they could capture half of the edge-of-your-seat-ness this film has. Bigelow delivers something all those CGI lade, plotless blockbusters so often promise. Scenes that make you gasp, moments that generally make your fearful for the characters, the sense that any of these people could (and do) die at any time. Jaw-clenching, gut-wrenching moments, and explosions that make you wince in pain as your eyes widen to take it all in.
So, if this is playing in your local multiplex, screw everything else, this is THE action movie of the summer, go friggin’ see it.
