'Hurt Locker' is a cinematic witness to war

Despite their admirable intentions and acclaimed names on both sides of the camera, the vast majority of movies made about the Iraq war have failed to hit the mark. Either they felt too preachy, like "Rendition" and "In the Valley of Elah," or they were rather standard action pictures like "The Kingdom."

"The Hurt Locker" is by far the most effective film yet on this subject -- and what's ironic about that is, it doesn't even feel all that specific to the Iraq war. Its insights and reach extend far beyond what has happened there during the past several years.

The film follows the efforts of an elite U.S. Army bomb squad, whose members have 38 days left before they can leave Baghdad in the summer of 2004. They're under enormous pressure to avoid mistakes, because every time they're called out to investigate a suspected explosive device, the tiniest false move can mean not only their deaths but the deaths of untold numbers of people around them. At the same time, they're under their own internal stress to get the job done and get home.

Into this intense situation comes the swaggering Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), who approaches each task with a healthy mix of artistry and bravado. The other members of his team (Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty) don't quite know what to make of him; James might be a genius at his job or he might be an egomaniacal showoff. Maybe he's a little bit of both.

The script from journalist Mark Boal, who spent time embedded with this kind of bomb squad, presents James as a fascinating but always believable jumble of contradictions. He's talented as hell but infuriating. He's clearly addicted to the rush of war but, in a more relatable sense, he has a passion for a job that defines and drives him.

So at its core, "The Hurt Locker" is an unexpected character study, but it also offers an intimate look at combat. Director Kathryn Bigelow doesn't go for sweeping battle scenes or glossy, computer-generated explosions. Rather, she makes you feel the claustrophobia and anxiety of her characters' daily lives.

MOVIE REVIEW

The Hurt Locker ***½

MOVIE BOARD RATING: R; war violence and profanity

STARS: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty

DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow

PLOT SUMMARY: An Army bomb squad tries to survive the last 38 days of a tour in Iraq.

RUNNING TIME: 130 minutes

ON THE WEB: www.thehurtlocker-movie.com