Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ticking (fake) Time Bomb: The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker (2008?) - Bigelow
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It's a gripping ticking-time-bomb thriller, literally. Dryly and effectively directed by the great actioner Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, Strange Days). Her whole approach to the Hurt Locker is a simple one- "make the most unglamorous war movie ever: let's waste Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes to show that I'm serious about it". The problem with that is, she tries so hard to avoid cliché, it comes across as insincere and fake and just as painful to watch.

Staff Sgt. James (Jeremy Renner), with his easy going leatherneck charm is an adrenalin junkie EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) man. The whole situation is irremediable over there in Iraq. Peeps like S Sgt. James get by by macho one-upping one another in a dangerous world they can barely understand. It's a sad movie.

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