Might as well start off by reviewing last year’s Best Picture Winner
Tension, tension, tension. That pretty much sums up the Hurt Locker. I would be hard-pressed to think of a more suspenseful profession than that of a bomb technician and this film does a tremendous job of translating that suspense to the screen. The Hurt Locker opens with a routine mission for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team that doesn’t quite go according to plan. From this point on, the anxiety never lets up as the movie follows the characters as they encounter dire circumstances and investigates the strained relationships that occur during a tour in Iraq.
The character interactions in the movie are probably the most intriguing part of the story. The story primarily revolves around Sergeant First Class William James, Sergeant J.T. Sanborn, and Specialist Owen Eldridge. These three men exemplify the different types of people who join the military and the grouping of all three into one team provides added suspense even in the scenes that don’t include explosives. Sergeant James is a total adrenaline junkie and as such has chosen one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: a bomb technician. He is an Army Ranger who will most likely be a lifelong military man because he only ever seems happy when his life is in some kind of mortal danger. He even removes the protective coverings from his windows so that even in the confines of his sleeping quarters he is never completely safe. I had somewhat of a difficult time believing the pure insanity of this character, but taking into account that he is an Army Ranger does make him seem more realistic.
Sergeant Sanborn represents a true patriot. He is by the book and is in Iraq because he believes it to be his duty as an American. He never shows fear, but he is nowhere close to as reckless as James. You never get the sense that Sanborn is in Iraq because he feels forced, but at the same time it is pretty clear that he will not be following this path for the rest of his life.
Specialist Eldridge seems like the typical kid coming straight out of high school with absolutely no idea of what he is getting himself into. He is shown playing video games in the beginning of the movie which only reinforces this idea. He has a lot of trouble coping with the stress of war and appears to be particularly adverse to the idea of shooting someone, even an enemy with every intention of killing Americans.
Sergeant James’ recklessness constantly puts hims at odds with his fellow teammates. Sanborn’s only goal is the successful completion of the mission, while Eldridge is generally more concerned with survival and not screwing up. Although James’ recklessness provides the story behind the character interaction, it is this trait that limits the credibility of the story. I was hard-pressed to believe that the Army would allow a bomb technician to operate who constantly put the lives of his men at more risk than was necessary. While this is a fictional story, it is supposedly based on the experiences of an embedded journalist in Iraq, so I feel justified in holding it to a pretty strict standard of believability.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent film that was well deserving of its Best Picture Award (although there were a couple films I would have put in front of it). The tension provided in this movie is unlike anything I’ve experienced in a film in quite sometime. When it comes down to it, The Hurt Locker is not about a political message. It’s about the men serving our country in Iraq, which is a refreshing change of pace from your standard war film.
“It’s fun. It’s cool. It’s gangsta.” - Iraqi child named Beckham in reference to the job of an EOD
Plot: 4 1/2 Homers - I award 4 1/2 Homers for the excitement and tension. My only complaint with the plot is the believability factor.
Acting: 4 1/2 Charlie Chaplins - Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie give outstanding performances.
Special Effects: 4 Michael Bays - Used when necessary. The slow-motion shots were great.
Overall: 4 Beers and a Kamikaze - I cheers 4 beers and a kamikaze to this movie because it is nothing less than an amazing war film. Misses out on the five beers because of the lack of believability in the script.
