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Hurt Locker, The
USA 2008, 131 minutes
Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
Rating: [R16]
Genres: Suspense/Crime / War
Topics: Gung-ho.
Feat. Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly
Aroview: Nerve-jangling Iraq War set drama follows a gung-ho bomb disposal expert with a seeming addiction to adrenaline.
The most idiosyncratic of the Iraq-set movies in that its politics are largely implicit is a smart, muscular piece of pop art that offers a striking portrayal of masculinity and terrifying myopia both of which are embodied by the deeply troubling protagonist, played with doughy-faced ambiguity by newcomer Jeremy Renner. Though scenes of sweaty bomb diffusions are nothing new, dir. Bigelow brings all her skills to bear on the film's memorable set pieces - the result is a heart-in-throat suspense movie fortified by sharp screenplay and intelligent direction.
Member Reviews
Average rating 
(Very Good). Showing 1-8 of 8 member reviews.
4 stars (Very Good) ~Anon
4 stars (Very Good) The stress of war and the work of bomb disposal expert, play out like the diary of a drug addict, with adrenaline being his drug of choice. Kathryn Bigelow shows she can tap into the male testosterone-soaked psyche, making for tense and compelling drama. ~The Myrka
4 stars (Very Good) 'The Hurt Locker' brings something new to the Iraq war formula with Bigelow's take on a soldier’s adrenaline addiction. A teeth-grittingly tense portrayal of life in a bomb-disposal unit. ~Tom H
5 stars (Exceptional) ~normfilmbuff
2 stars (Good Try) A deeply conventional film, within coo-ee of being a Tom Cruise vehicle. A couple of scenes feel like they may be based on experience, the rest is a BIG STATEMENT from a director who can neither abandon nor reinvent war-movie tropes to any worthwhile end ~HiFi
5 stars (Exceptional) An expertly made, almost painfully suspenseful film, with compelling drama, heart-pumping action and a truly brilliant lead performance from Jeremy Renner. ~Wizzums
2 stars (Good Try) 80% of the film is a poorly executed macho action flick. The Beckham subplot brilliantly depicts troops utterly baffled about what they are doing - but the director fails to make anything out of this, and returns to more boring action scenes. Irritating. ~artsfiend
2 stars (Good Try) Didn't find the yelling/shouting scenes interesting but what was done well were the sniping & the depiction of the desert in particular as "why the hell are we here?" Characters 1 dimensional & I couldn't give a stuff if Renner blew himself up or not. ~Tubbs
Close Relatives
- Battle For Haditha (2007)
- American Sniper (2014)
- Green Zone (2010)
- Kajaki: Kilo Two Bravo (2014)
- War, A (2016)
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
more matches…
| Rental | ||
|---|---|---|
| Blu-Ray | $6 |  |
| DVD (R4) | $6 | |
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