The Hurt Locker | Moon
I saw both of these films a few months ago and both are very much worth seeking out now in limited release.
Not your typical war movie, The Hurt Locker is a fascinating character study about a bomb squad unit in Baghdad. The film is smart, committed to realism and devoid of the usual Hollywood politicizing. The film opens with amazing suspense and manages to keep it up throughout the film. The cast is great, lead Jeremy Renner in particular makes you want to get inside the head of someone who gets up everyday to do this kind of work. Director Kathryn Bigelow, who made one of my favorite vampire movies of all time, Near Dark, shines with dark, funny, intense material.
Moon stars Sam Rockwell as an astronaut nearing the end of his three-year solitary tour of duty on the moon and anyone who’s seen “Space Madness” can guess where it’s going from there. But while it’s themes may be familiar, Rockwell’s performance is gripping, (which is quite a feat considering he is the only actor onscreen for nearly 90 minutes.) First-time filmmaker Duncan Jones takes advantage of Rockwell’s versatility and practical effects to make a smart sci-fi film that pays homage to classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien and Solaris. Even if you’re not a fan, it’s still worth seeing.
