And the Oscar Should Go To....

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, was released over the summer 2009 and I finally had the chance the see it when it came out on DVD in the last couple weeks. The film is based on the accounts of embedded freelance journalist Mark Boal who spent time with a U.S. Army EOD unit in Iraq. The film follows the experiences of three members of a U.S. bomb squad and the last days of their tour in Iraq. The characters are played by Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty and each of these actors is fantastic. Renner was nominated for his first Oscar today and was also honored with a Golden Globe nomination. All of his accolades are incredibly well deserved. He is incredibly intense in this role; you are holding your breath in every scene he is in. He reminds me of a young Russell Crowe. I've loved Anthony Mackie for a couple years now. You might remember him as Papa Doc in Eight Mile, Tupac Shakur in Notorious, and from We Are Marshall... and I've had my eye on him ever since. Brian Geraghty gives an honest and heartfelt peformance. (His character may remind you of Jeremy Davies' character in Saving Private Ryan, another amazing performance.) Some smaller roles in the film are played by Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly, and Guy Pearce. This film is amazing. It stays with you. The story, the characters, the direction, the acting...all of it is so compelling. There hasn't been a film about the War in Iraq that has been so real and provides a glimpse into what the soldiers of Iraq are going through. It is not easy to watch at times. There are moments when you have to look away. You are uncomfortable. But it's real. Kathryn Bigelow directs the film and is now only the fourth woman to be nominated for an Academy Award. She is the first woman to win the Director's Guild Award for a motion picture...and she is brilliant. She also happens to be the ex-wife of another Oscar nominee.. Mr. James Cameron. Can you think of anything better than beating your ex-husband out at the Oscars? Forget seeing Avatar for the 5th time, see The Hurt Locker.