Review of "The Hurt Locker"

So I just saw this movie this Sunday night. I was intrigued by the Oscar nods it got this season and the win for Best Picture made it a must see for me. I have a habit of seeing previous winners, and this one fit the same bill.

Story:

I found the story was very interesting, mainly for the fact of how it handled the characters. Like me, I always get hooked by the characters, and this movie's three main characters, and the stuff they endured was eye-opening. I have had friends who served over there, and won't say much about it, and after seeing this films portrayal, I can see why, it changes you. The story of a bomb squad, sorry if the label is wrong, but basically, this has to be the worst job in the world. There is no way they have a low stress level at all. So the plot isn't very much story centered, I would say it is driven by the characters, and glad it was, because it was stronger for it.

Character:

I'm going to focus on the main character as he's the one who we spent the most time with. He is a crazy guy, but has a heart underneath his hard exterior. The way the movie portrays his opening scene where he's a wild card, into someone who the group starts to trust was masterfully done. He has a sad arch, because no matter what he does, his normal life can't live up to what he does in the war, so he goes back. Completely sad.

Directing:

Since this was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the ex-wife of James Cameron, I wanted to mention that I felt that she did a wonderful job. The shot choices were deliberate, and upped the emotional impact of scene after scene. I would say that she did a better job than Cameron did with Avatar in portrayal of both characters, and action.

Overall:

Found this film worth seeing. Would I buy it? Probably not, only for the fact that it is depressing in many ways, so I wouldn't watch it again for many years. Gave it a 4/5 for sure.