The Hurt Locker

It's been long since I do a review, so what better movie than the Oscar hopeful excellent film by outstanding director Kathryn Bigelow. Took me a long time to get in the right mood to watch a war movie and to my surprise this is not really a war movie. All right is set in a war but is about the chilling profession of disarming bombs in the heat of urban combat, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. If you take the story out of war and take it to any city in the USA you will find the story repetitive as has been told by many mediocre movies. But -and is a big BUT- this thrilling film that I watched in the comfort of my bed with the covers up to my nose makes the story so thrilling and exciting that your heart starts to pump right with the first few minutes. Excellent!

More interesting is that most of the film does not feel like a movie. It feels like a documentary but a 'special' documentary as you feel like if you're there, like if you are a few steps away from the men. Extraordinary!

There are some Hollywood special effects but within the film narrative become part of the narrative and you understand why editing selected to insert that 'wow' moment in the intense storytelling. Still, most of the film has no visual or special effects and truly feels like naked reality.

Is accurate to real war? I do not know and probably not. But who cares when the storytelling grabs your attention from the very beginning until the very end. You can't stop watching, with the exception of the human bomb where my bed covers went up as was really hard to watch. Not very often you have the opportunity to watch an American drama that's thrilling, intense and makes you feel all kind of emotions. Excellent!

A while back I read an article called "Is Kathryn Bigelow a man?" and mention this to tell you that is really impressive how a woman could tell a men story so well. Still I know that this story is about human beings and their behaviors under extreme death and life situations. But there are some moments where the drama explores men bonding after living those situations and while the film becomes slowish, what is and how is shown suggest male bonding insight. Definitively Bigelow is not a man and is quite an attractive woman that with a 'known' story from many other terrible American films did an extraordinary film. Great storyteller!

Do I recommend the film? Yes. But I suggest to not expect a film about the war in Iraq as is not. It's a terrible and exciting tale about men who expose their lives every time they have to disarm a bomb.

The film has been getting the most honors this award season and according to IMDb has 9 Oscar nominations plus 67 wins and 42 nominations, the latest at the 2010 BAFTA's where won the award in almost every category it was nominated with the exception of two. It's a very impressive credential for a movie American or not and I only wish that Oscar recognizes the excellent filmmaker Bigelow is and makes the milestone a reality: the first female director to win in the 82 years of the history of the Academy Awards.

A must be seen film for many that read this blog regularly and complained about my lack of posting about movies, awards and festivals during the last month. Thank you for complaining.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

The Hurt Locker