The Hurt Locker **** (From Bournemouth Echo)

The Hurt Locker ****

5:31pm Thursday 3rd September 2009 in

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THOSE of a nervous disposition should opt out of a tour of duty with Kathryn Bigelow’s thrilling war drama.

The Hurt Locker is a masterclass in sustained tension as a three-strong bomb disposal squad attached to the US Army risks life and severed limb to defuse roadside IEDs (improvised explosive devices).

To heighten our unease, a major character is blown to smithereens in the nerve-wracking opening sequence. No one is safe.

Expect to bite your nails to the cuticle over the subsequent two hours as the soldiers of Bravo Company count down the 38 days left on their current rotation.

Journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal spent time in Iraq with an Army bomb squad, and his hellish experiences add a sheen of uncomfortable realism to Bigelow’s directorial brio.

The odds are stacked against these men from the very first frame, and the few who live to tell the tale will be emotionally scarred for the rest of their civilian lives.

It’s a gripping portrait of courage and carelessness under fire, anchored by strong performances from the leads as three different faces of the modern US military.

Renner captures the contradictions of his unit leader, who struts the line between bravado and suicidal abandon.

VENUE: Empire