Betsy Sharkey: ‘The Hurt Locker’

I’m sorry, what is up with you people? Despite heaps of praise, too many of you are taking a pass. Are you worried that it’s just another desert war movie, depressing story, faces hidden by burkas or beards? Well, let’s defuse that notion. What we have here is a psychological thriller, man against machine, the clock ticking as Jeremy Renner, a stealth bomb of an actor, sets about disarming the homemade kind. It’s chess reconceived as an extreme sport, every action carrying the possibility of reaction. Boom. Possibly 2009’s best picture winner, people. Aren’t you a little curious?

-- Betsy Sharkey