The Hurt Locker

Last night I watched The Hurt Locker with my friend Liana and I have come to two very upsetting conclusions.

1. It is not a hard-hitting enough film to win Best Picture. It was supremely well-crafted and original, but it is far too much of an underdog to actually be in the running.

2. Kathryn Bigelow will most likely not win Best Director. I hate to say it, but James Cameron might take it. As much as I hate to admit it, directing Avatar was a massive undertaking. It doesn't matter how corny the screenplay was or how unoriginal the plot was; any way you look at it, it was a huge job and he did very well with it. The Academy doesn't like Quentin Tarantino, so I doubt he'll win an Oscar for Director. Maybe Screenplay, but not Director. I have yet to see Precious, so I will reserve my judgement on Lee Daniels. The only person who could come from behind and snag it is Jason Reitman, for Up in the Air, but my gut feeling says that Cameron will steal it from the potential first female director to win an Oscar.

My favorite thing about The Hurt Locker was that it was not a "war movie". It was an in-depth look at a specific unit (bomb disarmament) within in the army, and more importantly, a psychological profile of the soldiers who make up that unit. I also appreciated the screenplay, which, although not as intricate as, say, Inglourious Basterd's was, was real nonetheless. I believed that everything the characters said would really have come out of their mouths. It didn't sound written. That is something I have come to appreciate more and more. The actors were mostly unknowns, which was a good choice. Well-known actors can steal too much attention in an independent film such as this. However, I don't think that Jeremy Renner will steal the Oscar for Best Actor. Although he created a complete character with a clearly defined goal, I never quite understood why he was the way he was. He came across as an adrenaline junkie: mission accomplished. But that's not enough. I never was clued in as to how or why he became this way. His acting didn't go that deep. A powerful performance for sure. But not quite Oscar winning material. The editing was a little choppy, so I don't think it will win that. But the cinematography was varied in its uses and effective overall. I don't know how it will stand up to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, though. (That was sarcasm).

Overall, a movie worth watching. I appreciated it and am glad I watched it. In fact, I think I may watch it again. But not before I watch Bright Star tonight, which, even though it is only nominated for Costume Design, should be a wonderful film.