The Hurt Locker

AroView: Oscar-winning, nerve-jangling Iraq War set drama follows a gung-ho bomb disposal expert with a seeming addiction to adrenaline.

The most idiosyncratic of the Iraq-set movies in that its politics are largely implicit is a smart, muscular piece of pop art that offers a striking portrayal of masculinity and terrifying myopia both of which are embodied by the deeply troubling protagonist, played with doughy-faced ambiguity by newcomer Jeremy Renner. Though scenes of sweaty bomb diffusions are nothing new, dir. Bigelow brings all her skills to bear on the film’s memorable set pieces - the result is a heart-in-throat suspense movie fortified by sharp screenplay and intelligent direction.