Number Rolled: 3
Movie Name/Year: The
Hurt Locker (2008)
Tagline: You’ll
know when you’re in it.
Genre: Drama
Length: 130
minutes
Rating: R
Production Companies:
Voltage Pictures, Grosvenor Park Media, Film Capital Europe Funds, First Light
Production, Kingsgate Films, Summit Entertainment
Producer: Kathryn
Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Jenn Lee, Tony Mark, Donall McCusker,
Jack Schuster, Greg Shapiro, Kirk Shaw
Director: Kathryn
Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Actors: Jeremy
Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse,
Evangeline Lilly, Christian Camargo, Christopher Sayegh
Blurb from Netflix:
Kathryn Bigelow directs this gripping drama following one of the U.S. Army’s
elite explosive ordnance disposal teams operating in Iraq.
Selina’s Point of View:
War movies are not often at the top of my list of movies to
watch. That’s weird because I always seem to enjoy them.
Enjoy is not really the right word, but I can’t think of a
better one.
In all honesty, war movies that are made well scare the fuck
out of me. I watch as the characters are exposed to horrible things and immediately
think about the people I care about that have been in war zones. It chokes me
up a bit. I’m a firm supporter of the military and I have nothing but respect
for anyone who enlists, but I would also prefer my loved ones remain safe.
Bah. Sorry. I could rant about that for a while, so I’ll
just move right on.
The Hurt Locker
was a very good movie. The acting was well above average and the plot/script
brought me so far into the story that I experienced every emotion right along
with the characters.
I had a couple of minor issues. None of which actually
lessened how much I liked the film.
Some of the camera movement was jerky where it should have
been smooth and there were aspects of some scenes that were disjointed and
difficult to follow. Other than that, I can’t really find much wrong with the
movie.
I was curious as to way it was called The Hurt Locker, however. At no point in the movie is it made
clear. According to an explanation I found by BBC News, a “hurt locker” is GI slang for severe injury. As I write
this it’s 4 am, so no one on my friends list is awake to ask. I’m going to have
to just go with that for now.
Cat’s Point of View:
I watched this movie with my husband; back when it first
came out on DVD. I’d remembered that I’d liked the film; but, of course, I
watched it again to refresh my memory as to why.
Oscar wins and nominations aside, it has stuck with me a
bit. Though, it is pretty impressive that this movie beat out Avatar (2009) for the Best Picture that
year.
For your usual nugget of trivia – ironically, it was James
Cameron (Titanic, Ghosts of the Abyss,
Avatar) whom convinced Kathryn Bigelow (Point
Break, Strange Days, Zero Dark Thirty) to make this movie, as she was
focused on another project originally.
I’m not a big war movie fan. I can watch them without
feeling like I’ve been burdened with some onerous chore –they’re just not my
preferred cup of tea.
At the same time, I hold high respect and admiration for our
service men and women that put their lives on the line day in and day out far
from home. Perhaps that is one of the tempering factors for me – if they can
endure all of it as reality, then I sure as hell can sit through a couple hours
of a sneak peek into that world.
That being said, this movie felt a bit like a window into
reality rather than a contrived piece of fiction. The situations were gritty and
visceral. There was plenty of suspense, and there were spurts of action.
Some sections felt a bit slow, but that could possibly have
been intentional to maintain the mood of the movie.
Of course, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe as big and
explosive as it is these days, actors Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later, The Bourne Legacy, Kill the Messenger) and Anthony
Mackie (Real Steel, Runner Runner, Love
The Coopers) are practically household names as Hawkeye and Falcon.
When this movie was released, that wasn’t entirely the case.
(There are a few more Marvel connections in this film – can you find them?)
Though, there are a few more well-known actors among the cast; such as Ralph
Fiennes (In Bruges, Great Expectations,
Spectre) and David Morse (Disturbia,
World War Z, Horns)…they just didn’t get as much screen time.
I haven’t forgotten Brian Geraghty (The Guardian, Open House, Flight). During the first few minutes he
was on screen, I had a little debate with myself. “Is that who I think that
is?” Turns out, I was right. He can be seen on the multi-show Chicago franchise
on NBC, primarily on Chicago P.D.
(2014-).
I don’t know that I would watch this movie a third time,
personally – but it is an excellent film.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 98%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 84%
Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 4.5/5
Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 5/5
Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4/5
Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score
– 4/5
Movie Trailer: [ The
TRAILER does this weird wibbly-wobbly-wavey thing that induces vertigo. The
MOVIE does not. ]
