Friday, February 5, 2010

The Hurt Locker

The Oscars about to descend upon us and it has me thinking about some of the nominated films. Several weeks ago I rented The Hurt Locker with high hopes. I am a huge fan of military related film. The first five minutes had me on the edge of my couch thinking this was going to be a great movie. It goes to show first impressions can be wrong. It had me...and then it lost me. The movie lost focus and veered in too many directions to feel much for any of the characters. I have a secret - I haven't watched the Oscars since Saving Private Ryan lost the title of best motion picture to Shakespeare In Love. I think I made the right choice because once again another lame movie is up for best picture.

13 comments:

  1. I rented 'The Hurt Locker' a couple of weeks ago. I kind of felt the same way. I would give it 7 out of 10.
    The scene that I felt the most was when he was back from the war and he's standing in the grocery store where there's so much choice and everything is at his disposal - in complete high contrast to his war experience and the suffering of the people there.
    Really? Saving Private Ryan lost out to Shakespeare in Love???! That's crazy! What were they thinking?!

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  2. Tamara,

    I am in agreement with you. Can you even remember the whole story line of Shakespeare in Love? I can't. All I can remember is Gwyneth Paltrow twirling around and unwrapping that giant Ace bandage thing.

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  3. To tell you the truth I've never seen the movie from begining to end, just bits and pieces. Seemed like a snoozer to me!
    I can't count how many times I've seen Private Ryan - very powerful.

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  4. Shakespeare in Love won over Private Ryan???????? O_O *Have I been living under the rock? For my defense I was out of the country and most likely not into SIL* I am shocked. I saw the movie (had to for one of my English classes) and, well, I have been impressed by more...

    Saving Private Ryan was powerful indeed, from the story line to the director and the acting...

    I stopped trying to figure out the Oscars a long time ago. I get frustrated too. For while, it seemed as if for a woman to win an Oscar, she had to be naked in the movie, have some gruesome sex scene, and the movie had to be quite depressing. As, you know, real life is... :D

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  5. I think the only nominated movie I've seen is Up. I've not seen Saving Private Ryan OR Shakespeare in Love. *sigh* I'm a lost cinema soul....

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  6. hmmm
    well once again I'm the odd man out
    Shakespeare in Love may be one of my fave movies and I don't really do romantic movies usually(it's in top 25! that's pretty good for me since I have a major love affair with movies)
    I loved Saving Private Ryan, but it didn't really stay with me. but I remember it was quite good!
    Hurt Locker was amazing! I absolutely loved the final scene! The directing was so powerful, I could feel my heart pounding every time he was on the scene of a bomb!


    I love a good debate over movies...:D

    hugs
    stac

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  7. Stacee-

    So the last scene of The Hurt Locker was brought up before. What was it about that scene that made you feel something? The first scene was the only one that made me tense.

    And I wanna know what's up with Guy Pearce and these bit parts? I saw The Road and all these known actors show up in these bit parts.

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  8. Stacee -

    Why don't ya give me your top 25 movies?

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  9. hmmm top 25? ok, let me make my list and I'll post in a few :D

    the last scene--I mean literally the last shot where it says the count down for the team at 365 days. I was absolutely hooked for this movie, and to me that brought the whole movie home for me. This guy was made to do this. The movie set it up to show the real danger they face literally to the last day they are there. They can die at any second, but he gets charged up being out there defusing these bombs. It shows him home, and just not able to keep himself present in that moment, his thoughts are still with the bomb team overseas (now don't get me wrong, I think a father and husband needs to take care of his family, and I am not saying it makes him a good dad etc) and you just know he's itching to get out of the tediousness of his life. To him there's no danger, no adventure. We feel it with him (whether we agree or disagree) so when we cut to that last scene, it's like "YAH, that's where he needs to be" and he's got 365!!! days to go!
    so that didn't express it clearly, sorry. I just really enjoyed the movie! :D

    going to work on my top 25! (I promise there won't be a lot of Oscar picks on there lol)

    hugs
    stac

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  10. So I started my top 25.
    Way too difficult lol
    I have top 25 horror, top 25 comedy, top 25 family, top 25 etc etc
    narrowing down is tough
    and then to decide am I doing just my personal fave movies? or the BEST movies? or should I do my personal fave that were Oscar nominated?
    hmmmm

    stac

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  11. ok, in no particular order (and still not including some faves) here is my top 25 (this could change in a week lol)

    1. Elizabeth
    2. Shakespeare in Love
    3. Breakfast Club
    4. Dirty Dancing
    5. Wizard of Oz
    6. Cloverfield
    7. The Prestige
    8. Transformers
    9. Nightmare Before Christmas
    10. Talladega Nights
    11. Silence of the Lambs
    12. Titanic
    13. 300
    14. Scrooged
    15. American Werewolf in London
    16. King Kong (Jack Black)
    17. Shawshank Redemption
    18. Cape Fear (Deniro)
    19. Star Wars Series
    20. Lord of the Rings Series
    21. Harry Potter Series
    22. Rocky Horror Picture Show
    23. Toy Story 1 &2
    24. Steel Magnolias
    25. Indiana Jones Series

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  12. Top 25! You have me scratch my head! :)

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