Hurt Locker (2008)

In an effort to catch up with a few oscar nominees, I sat through this intensely graphic psychological action film that succeeded in providing the viewer with an up-close intimate two hours of living in a war zone. The main characters were actors I was not familiar with, though other smaller roles were played by David Morse and Ralph Fiennes. The story revolves around a small unit dedicated to high-stress task of uncovering and disengaging IEDs. The men manage their emotions by storing away their pain (hurt locker), as there is no time for it. They cope by drinking and fighting with one another. James (Jeremy Renner) joins the team as an expert technician who is also a renegade type who seems to continually puts his peers at risk, an adrenaline junkie who never stops.

Director Kathryn Biegelow is married to James Cameron who was a writer on her last big picture, Strange Days. Curiously, his blockbuster, Avatar, is also waiting for a slew of oscars. I made my way into that one too. The 3D tropical lushness is engaging, but all that military testosterone on the pretty planet of Pandora is exhausting. I can say the same of this film. Both pictures will likely clean up on award night, though. While each film seems to be pointing out the wrongs of military operations, the chance of moving beyond that force appears to be hopeless. I left both feeling bad.