The Hurt Locker

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by gdc_2008

It was kind of meh. I know the storyline was supposed to be jacked, but no way the main character could get away with what he got away with...either by the system or the people he was putting in harms way. Other than that it was an ok movie, I liked that it didn't have an over the top political tilt to it.

What exactly was the political tilt? Oh, and spoiler below in white:

I thought it was pretty interesting the way both the "name" actors - Fiennes and Pearce - died quick deaths. Made for a fairly unpredictable movie.

 

[Baron]

I saw this last night on my TV on demand. I might have liked it more in the theater, but I couldn't help but feel like the risk taking was unrealistic, as suggested above by gdc_2008. I did like it and think it will have staying power as a document of the psychological effects of war (not that I'd know if it was accurate in that regard.)

 

[HORNS]

I saw this movie last night. Fantastic movie and great acting on everyone's part - there was no heavy-handed overacting to carry the intensity. The stress was internalized by the characters, and you could see it and feel it. The film was also very tightly edited, resulting in zero down moments throughout.

It was gut-wrenching, though.

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Don't get the hype. Good movie though.

 

[Johnny_5]

It was a pretty intense movie but didn't leave me floored like many of the other posters in this thread. The part when they met the Australians was awesome though.

 

[furo]

I liked it and as a veteran of the Iraq war I thought it made the most accurate portrayal to date of how it is over there.

There were a couple unrealistic parts but nothing glaring like I see in many other recent war movies.

One of the better aspects was the intensity that is built without using explosions or bullets whizzing by at all moments. Because that's how it really is there when you're outside the wire. You don't know what will happen or when, especially when in the areas that we aren't liked and/or respected

 

[Joffrey]

I thought it was a great movie.

 

[Fuuma]

Saw this recently, pretty nice. I liked that the discourse on the war in Iraq has had time to gain enough momentum that some people chose to direct a character study set in that context instead of a war movie.

 

[A Y]

I haven't seen the movie, but I love the soundtrack.

--Andre

 

[Hombre Secreto]

Originally Posted by A Y

I haven't seen the movie, but I love the soundtrack.

--Andre

How can you love the music of a movie that you haven't even seen?

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

How can you love the music of a movie that you haven't even seen?

You can get the soundtrack separately.

--Andre

 

[Redwoood]

Great movie, the best of all the movies I saw in 2009.
Not sure if it was realistic or not; I could imagine there's a lot that goes on over there that's not exactly done by the book. In any case, it 'felt real' to me.

 

[PiperInAlberta]

Great movie and really well done.

I know some guys who do that sh*t for real...talk about a sphincter-puckering job.

 

[Duff_Man]

A lot of unrealistic things that were done for dramatic effect were portrayed as topical vignette moments that give the viewer a sense of 'what it's actually like over there'. For instance, the taxi cab driving unopposed through a roadblock, the 2IC and other kid talking about 'fragging' Jeremy Renner's character, the knife fight in barracks, the 11Bs abandoning their vehicles and hiding the courtyard, etc. This is in addition to the numerous technical inconsistencies and inaccuracies. I will agree that it very accurately simulates the tension and atmosphere that being there must be like but I think it's dangerous to throw in such realistic fiction that could distort civilian perceptions.

 

[akatsuki]

No comment on the realism since I don't have the experience to back it up.

On the other hand, the main reason I think Kathryn Bigelow is great is her action movies are extraordinarily character driven. The explosions and action scenes are an aside. Probably the most underrated mainstream director out there.