A young man ignores his own mortality and throws caution to the wind as he perfects his craft in a manner which doesn’t win him many friends.
Why I Saw It: It won SIX Academy Awards, including Best Picture That absolutely makes it worth watching and forming an opinion on the film.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
Memorable Performances: The way Jeremy Renner throws his character head-long into dangerous situations with both a sense of reckless disregard for himself and giving off an arrogance born of confidence was great to watch. Anthony Mackie also gave a really good performance as a guy who respects the talents of a guy he doesn’t particularly like, mixed with the feelings born of losing the man Jeremy Renner’s character is replacing on the battlefield.
Potential Nominations for Film Quest ’13:
- none
Favorite Parts: The intensity if the film was palpable. When Jeremy Renner’s character was sweating, I nearly followed suit. You can feel the heat, the potential doom and the relief.
The Regrettable Aspects: I really wish they would’ve found a way to add to the characters to give us more to latch onto from a personal investment standpoint. There’s really not much for us to like about Jeremy Renner’s character, or even sympathize about until it’s potentially too late.
Would I watch it again? Because this was such a very intense movie, it’s doubtful that I’ll watch it again. Surely it was a great film, but part of a film’s job is to entertain, and while I’m glad to have watched the film and I enjoyed watching things unfold on the screen, that’s the extent to which the film is entertaining, and it wouldn’t be as much of a pleasurable experience to see it again.
To Whom Would I Recommend It? Anyone who wants to see some of the harsh realities faced by soldiers who fight for their country but aren’t necessarily seen as being on the “front lines” or in the thick of battle. It’s a well-executed reminder of how serious war is for all involved.
Other Recommendations:
– ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow directed both of these Best Picture nominees focused on various aspects of war in the Middle East, and they’re certainly both worth viewing. For my money, Zero Dark Thirty was more entertaining and informative.
– POINT BREAK – Twenty years before she directed Zero Dark Thirty (and seventeen years prior to The Hurt Locker), Kathryn Bigelow directed this heist film which was far better than I ever expected and is absolutely a must-see if you like action films.
– THE TOWN – Easily the best performance I’ve ever seen from Jeremy Renner, it’s an excellent heist film that deserves the praise it gets.
If you’ve got recommendations for alternatives to THE HURT LOCKER, or for other similar films, let me know!
Next up… DREDD!
Guys Film Quest 
Renner was great in this and I’m really glad he got a nomination for this, and practically sky-rocketed his career to new heights. As for everything else in the flick, it all works the same. Very good, and very interesting. Nice review.
Great review! The editing of the car bomb defusal was a highlight for me. I haven’t seen ZDT but an alternative film recommendation might be Green Zone.
I recently reviewed this film myself, and was by far less impressed, but it’s not my kind of movie at all. Are you American? I put a lot of it down to my Britishness.