“The Hurt Locker” an intense and methodical journey through the dangerous streets of Iraq, pitting a U.S. bomb squad unit against a deadly dangerous non-stop series of bombs intended to kill American troops.

A lot of war movies try to put you in the middle of the action, but where those movies fail, this movie excels, with its gritty feel and shooting style with lots of shots off the shoulder documentary-style, the audience is in the middle of it all, peering around corners… seeing what the soldiers see… and don’t see.
My spoiler-free review:

Set in Baghdad, Iraq in 2004, this movie gives us a glimpse of the tensions of soldiers trying to keep the peace and protect each other amongst the foreign and treacherous urban landscape.

While his bomb tech unit teammates use constant caution to keep everyone safe, the new guy, Staff Sergeant James, is a reckless loner that does things his own way, but is also very good at his job.  Jeremy Renner shines as SSG James, bringing the multitude of layers to a complicated character…. and doing it with even more flair and expertise than the last movie role I saw him in (as troubled officer “Gamble” in 2003’s “S.W.A.T.”).  As SSG James throws caution and protocol to the wind, he is in constant conflict with his by-the-book unit.  Renner genuinely deserves Oscar nomination consideration for this role.

In addition to Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty are solid with nice additions of minor roles for Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Evangeline Lilly.

Another character that is well developed is the landscapes of Iraq: from the busy chaotic streets to the barren desert with its intense heat… the geography becomes a character that also impacts the story and the other characters.

I give this movie props for its methodical nature… taking the time to let a scene play out, unlike most military action dramas where a gun fight or action scene happens then quickly cuts to the next scene, “The Hurt Locker” moves at a slower rate, letting the scene breathe and take its time… much like the work of a bomb tech… it does not detract from the movie, it makes it stronger.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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Laff’s Lists:

 

 

 

 

Just like John Cusack in “High Fidelity” (2000), I like to put my opinions in some sort of order… in lists of favorites, here now, is a work-in-progress blog of My Favorite Movie-Related things…

 

 

 

31 Best Scary Movies (updated 10/26/09):

(this list based on quality standards and movies I’ve seen)
 

 

 

 

1. “The Ring” (2002)
2. “The Shining” (1980)
3. “The Exorcist” (1973)
4. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
5. “Halloween” (1978)
6. “Psycho” (1960)
7. “Paranormal Activity” (2009)
8. “Saw” (2004)
9. “The Grudge” (2004)
10. “The Sixth Sense” (1999)
11. “The Others” (2001)
12. “Jaws” (1975)
13. “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)
14. “Amityville Horror” (1978)
15. “Identity” (2003)
16. “The Mothman Prophecies” (2002)
17. “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
18. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
19. “The Omen” (1976)
20. “Alien” (1979)
21. “Carrie” (1976)
22. “Poltergeist” (1982)
23. “The Blair Witch Project” (1999)
24. “The Birds” (1963)
25. “Arachnophobia” (1990)
26. “Dark Water” (2005)
27. “House on Haunted Hill” (1999)
28. “House of Wax” (2005)
29. “Misery” (1990)
30. “Vacancy” (2007)
31. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)

 My Top Patrick Swayze movies

 

 

 

 

 1. “Dirty Dancing” (1987) as the dancer “Johnny Castle”

2. “Point Break” (1991) as surfer criminal “Bodhi”

3. “Road House” (1989) as “Dalton”, the bouncer at a rough bar

4. “The Outsiders” (1983) as “Darrel ‘Darry’ Curtis”, the oldest brother

5. “Red Dawn” (1984) as “Jed”, the unofficial leader of the “Wolverines”

6. “Ghost” (1990) as the stuck-in-limbo “Sam Wheat”  (more…)