01-19-2010, 03:17 PM
I finally watched this over the weekend, and I have to say it is the cream of the crop of the current wave of Iraq war movies. Not only is the action (mostly a series of predicaments on the Iraqi streets involving insurgent terror plots) realistic and intense, but it makes you appreciate what our young men and women are going through overseas, and how they do it. Love or hate the war, this movie is a must see. The Renner/James character is much more complex than he at first seems, and I have a feeling that he will be remembered for years to come as one of the more honest depictions of a modern day soldier, both at home and on the battlefield. I don't know how Bigelow does it, but she's probably the most talented action director of the past 30 years. Maybe the fact that she's a woman is the key. 4/5 stars