The Hurt Locker (2009)

Anyway you look at it, Kathryn Bigelow’s THE HURT LOCKER is a near staggering piece of film making. That Bigelow exudes talent is no secret to anyone who has seen NEAR DARK or STRANGE DAYS but with HURT LOCKER, she’s achieved a consummate piece of cinema. Set in the last 38 days of rotation duty of a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, the film concentrates on a staff sergeant (Jeremy Renner in a sensational performance) who is a wild card and gets off on the thrill of toying with death. Bigelow doesn’t take a stance on the war in Iraq but instead focuses on the troops who have to deal with the death and destruction on a day to day basis. Often brutal to watch but never less than intense and realistic. Bigelow's gender busting Oscar win as best director was entirely justified. With Ralph Fiennes and Anthony Mackie.