The Hurt Locker (2009) Voltage Pictures/First Light/Kingsgate Films/Summit Entertainment 📢 Director: Kathryn Bigelow. 💰 Producer: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier, Greg Shapiro. 👫 Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce. 🏆 Awards ceremony: -82nd Academy Awards: March 7, 2010. Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 🎭 Other films nominated for Best Picture this year: -Avatar. -The Blind Side. -District 9. -An Education. -Inglorious Basterds. -Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' By Sapphire. -A Serious Man. -Up. -Up In The Air. 📕 Plot summary: A bomb disposal unit from the US army are in a very hostile Baghdad environment during the Iraq war when one of their leaders gets killed in an explosion. When a new Staff Sergeant James (JEREMY RENNER) steps in to take over the dead officer's role it leads to a conflict within the group with Sergeant Sanborn (ANTHONY MACKIE). The two eventually show their mutual respect for one another as they work together to furthering their mission. 💥 Standout scene(s): -The Ralph Fiennes 'reveal' was a cool moment! -When James is trying to disarm the car bomb in the street. -Towards the end of the film when the Iraqi man pleads with the army to help disarm a large amount of explosives that have been strapped to his chest but when they see the severity of the situation they decide there is no way they can defuse the bombs in time. 🔑 Facts: -The 82nd Academy Awards. -Nominated for 9 Academy Awards, it won 6: Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (original), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing. Editing. -Kathryn Bigelow won the Oscar for Best Director, beating her ex-husband James Cameron who was nominated for Avatar. That had to have stung! Also, she was the first woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director. -This year the category of Best Picture was extended to 10 film nominations. -Third Best Picture appearance for Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, The English Patient). 🙂 Personal opinion: It starts with promise but soon wears out its initial welcome. The first 10 minutes really grabs your attention and hold it firmly in its grip. The one recurring theme throughout the film is an incredible amount of sustained suspense. Some of the scenes feel a little predictable, such as the opening section when the soldiers are acting too casual and joking which made me think they need a reality check. And then they got one! The middle section of the movie falls away somewhat as the story starts to sag from a lack of action, blending into mediocrity. It picks up again in the final 20 minutes or so with one of the most memorable moments when a man pleads for his life in the middle of the street with a ton of explosives attached to his chest. The directing from Kathryn Bigelow is good. The hand-held, jolting POV and shaky shots add touches of realism to the film. Well edited and brilliantly suspenseful. Unfortunately, the film lacks from sustainability, though ultimately the good does outweigh the bad. Did it deserve the Oscar? ✅YES. 5½/10

Review date: 20 June 2025