The Hurt Locker

I thought the Hurt Locker was one of the best films I've seen in a long time. The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow has just won 6 academy awards, including best picture. The film was excellent at creating tension. The screenplay for the film was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded as a journalist in 2004 with a U.S bomb squad in Iraq. I think that Boal's experiences in Iraq really added to the realism of the film. The fact that it was filmed in Jordan and cast Iraqi refugees as extras also added to the realism. The cast was excellent, with Jermey Renner very convincing as the reckless bomb disposal veteran, Staff Sergeant Thompson. I also enjoyed Ralph Fiennes brief but memorable performance as the leader of a group of private military contractors.

I definitely need to watch this stunning film again very soon.