The Hurt Locker - Review

The David(fellow who took down Goliath) of this years Oscar's finally hits the screens this week. Taking down strong contender Avatar, Katheryn Bigelows Hurt Locker has garnered immense critical appeal, the question however is, was it Oscar worthy?
While that may be debatable, the film is absolutely brilliant.

Iraq war films may be done to death, but as the cliche goes....this one is different.
Set in Baghdad, The Hurt Locker is about relationships between 3 soldiers who work in the Bravo Bomb Squad. With just over a month of duty remaining, Sergeant Sanborn(Anthony Mackie) & Specialist Eldridge(Brian Geraghty) are assigned a new leader in SFC Will James(Jeremy Renner). A man who stares death in the face & loves the thrill of his job, James changes the rules of the game & the way Bravo is used to functioning. While the other two only want to get done with their period in war-stricken Iraq, James is reckless and indifferent to the peril to his life.

The beauty of this film lies in the stark differences in the 3 and the relationship they share. While James is one for the excitement and danger, Sanborn plays by the book, not wanting to risk any lives and is ruffled by the ways of his leader. Eldridge on the other hand is an anxious individual who is afraid that a mistake on his part might cost someone their life.

The film starts slowly but soon gathers momentum, eventually leading up to a fantastic finale. The interesting thing about the movie is the attention to detail. The streets, the clothes, the equipment, everything little thing is paid attention to. The Art director David Bryan definitely deserves an applaud.

All performances are great but Jeremy Renner towers above the rest. At times quirky, at times intense, he makes you like the character of SFC Will James & puts up an Oscar worthy show.

Director Katheryn Bigelow does a fine job with an interesting story. For a female director to take up such a script deserves a lot of credit. Hard-hitting and absorbing, she creates a great product.
While as a film Hurt Locker is surely better than Avatar, the directorial baton of James Cameron probably deserved the Oscar more than Bigelow.

All in all, The Hurt Locker is a must-watch. Not just because it won the Oscar, but because it is cinematic excellence. If you like an interesting story with superb performances & stunning visuals, this ones your game.

Rating: 4/5

Green Zone - Review

The Bourne team of Matt Damon-Paul Greengrass is back, this time in war plagued Iraq. With slick promos & an interesting plot, does this political thriller manage to keep you engaged?
Yes it definitely does.

Based on a book by Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Green Zone takes us to the US invasion of Iraq where American troupes are deployed to find the WMD(Weapons of Mass Destruction). Working on intel from the CIA & an insider in Baghdad, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller(Matt Damon) comes up empty handed wherever he searches. During a crackdown, he narrowly misses General Al Rawi, Saddam's close aide & uncovers some hidden secrets of this operation, that involve the top officials at the CIA, their man in Iraq Poundstone(Greg Kinnear) & President Bush.
What follows, is a wild chase by Miller to unearth the truth behind the political strategy and an eye-opener to what the true intentions of the US government are.

Akin to the Bourne series, the visuals through the film are shaky & mainly handheld. The cinematography by Barry Ackroyd is meant to provide the "in the midst of the action" feel, which sometimes goes too far, making it a jarring experience for a few sequences.
The background score is superb & absorbs you into the story, right through the chases & action scenes.

Matt Damon does a brilliant job as the frustrated Officer Miller who wants to do the right thing & solve the puzzle. Another superb performance is by Greg Kinnear as the wily CIA man in the war-field.
Director Paul Greengrass does not outdo the Bourne Ultimatum but yet delivers a fine product. The screenplay is taut & the film does not have too many low points.


Films like Green Zone make us realize how the USA have made a mockery out of world peace talks & have their ulterior motives under the facade of democracy. The problem is that we realize too late & by that time, another Iraq has taken place.

To sum it up, Green Zone is a fast paced political-action thriller which keeps you engrossed. A thoroughly entertaining fare, this is not your average joe war flick & is definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 3.5/5