Explosive

The Hurt Locker (2009)

Winner of six Oscars this film is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and stars Jeremy Renner. A bomb disposal unit in Iraq gets a new member after the previous team leader is killed in a bomb blast.

Films based on the war in Iraq have been a mixed bag so far to say the least and this is certainly the most realistic in terms of the conflict it depicts in the background even if the actions of the main characters stray into the realms of fantasy a fair amount. Putting worries about realism aside this is a tense film about characters who live their lives on the edge and in that respect is very well made. Certainly this is a good film, maybe the successor to The Deer Hunter (1978), but maybe not as good as all the praise it has received.

4/5