Review of The Hurt Locker (2008) by Liam C — 24 Jan 2015

The Hurt Locker is an example of a film that gets pretty much everything right, and like that review that is quoted on the poster says, it is a near-perfect film.

I really like the story; it builds up the tension slowly and develops in a very realistic way. Some have said that the film doesn't really have any story but I don't agree with that. It starts off with a powerful quote and then places us right in the heat of the mission and just carries on from there and I liked that approach. I thought the film would be different given the cover that has all the bombs on it. I thought that part would be the main plot point of the film with someone that made a mistake by finding them and was now stuck over all those bombs for the duration, or something, because it has been awhile since I put this on my list, so much so that the cover on RT has changed twice, and while that scene certainly had me in awe, I was happy with what it was. The film was shocking and unpredictable, much like a real war. Most of the time it felt like a horror film, especially when everyone was watching what the main characters were doing, the sense of dread that fills every scene never lets up and I was fully engaged in the story, so much so that every time a plane flew over the characters I thought a bomb was going to drop. The film has an excellent script that pays attention to its characters and they are all written excellently, there are many scenes where characters are allowed to breath and it is great to see these characters talk and interact. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous and really enriches the experience further; the film has done an excellent job when I feel bad sitting here drinking water because the characters are almost passing out from dehydration. What was done with the budget that they had is outstanding. I'm also surprised that those little bots that they used lasted as long as they did; I thought they'd be shot down really easily. There is a scene where someone gets told to a few times to movie his car and then gets told to stop it and that just made me think about the guy in the car and how he must have felt.

The cast is outstanding and everyone does an excellent job with a brilliant lead performance from Jeremy Renner. At first he seems very quiet but before long his true side is revealed and he comes across as being oddly relaxed throughout the entire mission, we learn why but it is certainly strange to see at first and our reaction is similar to the characters at that moment. He was nominated for an Oscar for this film and it was totally deserved, he totally looks the part and gave such a complex performance, he would also be nominated for an Oscar the following year, too. There was also some surprises with some actors that show up during the film and they were great to see but I still wish Guy Pearce was in it more; it's funny how the biggest names have the least screen time. Everyone else does an excellent job and I can't picture anyone else in the lead roles, especially in Renner's. Colin Farrell, Willem Dafoe and Charlize Theron were originally considered for lead roles but considering Bigelow wanted relatively unknown actors for the roles, it makes sense why they weren't chosen and Bigelow and Dafoe have worked together before too. There is a character that Jeremy Renner's character meets early into the film and those two have some scenes together and there is a part where something big seems to have happened with that storyline and that felt like such a huge coincidence at first and seemed like such a poor choice for a film like this but before long it carried on and actually went a different direction and it surprised me and I am glad what happened did.

The final shot of this film is something very noteworthy to talk about. The final scene of the film is already very powerful but that final shot is perfect, the song that is playing and the way the text fades in at the end and how long they focus on it is just something I really loved and it just made my jaw drop. It was raising the score of the film the longer it went on but you can't go any higher than five stars, which is what I was already going to give it. I've seen films cover this type of theme before but here it really connected with me and it was done in such a powerful way. I will never forget this film and that ending solidified it. Speaking of the soundtrack, the soundtrack for this film is very angry and it makes sense considering who made it and what trilogy it came from. I won't say what the theme is as it might ruin some of the subtly but it fits the film very well, especially in that final scene and that song in particular also foreshadows Bigelow's next film, and it also introduced me to some awesome music.

It only happened less than handful of times but slow mo is used in some scenes, and while it looked visually interesting, it felt kind of cheap to be placed in a film like this, especially when it was being used at the start. I understand why it was used but it gives the impression that it was going to be one of 'those' war films and while I personally didn't hold that against it, some might. There was also a scene with the other people on the team not really being happy with their leader and while it resolves itself, pretty much, in that one scene, I would have liked the character it is related to, to have found out at some point, it isn't a problem with the film, it is just something I find annoying in anything. I also thought some scenes ended too early, it doesn't happen very often but the scenes that do end early I think could have just gone on a little more.

After taking a few years off, Kathryn Bigelow comes storming back with an excellent film, I certainly wouldn't have guessed it would win Best Picture, considering how one of the producers nearly ruined its chances, but it definitely deserves it, as well as everything else it was nominated for. That producer was talking negatively about, 'Avatar', and James Cameron was the one that convinced Bigelow to do this film, it's funny how everything works out. It is also Anthony Mackie's second time he was in a film that won Best Picture. Early in the history of the Academy it used to be Oscar 101 to make a war film but this fantastic film transcends that and I bet Bigelow is happy she changed her mind and decided to direct this film, because, like Barbara Streisand said, 'well, the time has come' and I'm really happy for her. I haven't seen K-19 as of this review but it certainly looks like this film doesn't take liberties with the facts, so not only is this a realistic take on war but is also a very powerful character study. The lowest grossing Best Picture winner of all time but that could change very soon... Tense, smart and brilliantly acted, The Hurt Locker is an excellent film from director Kathryn Bigelow and another film off the list.