The Hurt Locker (2008)

By 2004 the Bush administration had turned a successful invasion/liberation of Iraq into a deadly insurgency. The US army of occupation under appointed “Pro-consul” Paul Bremer failed to show any intention of turning self-government over to the Iraqis or even an interest in turning the electricity back on. Terrorists haunted the streets of Bagdad and their weapon de jour is the IED, a bomb hidden in the roadsides and streets. The pivotal unit in the US forces countering this weapon is a three man team whose job it is to find and disarm these explosives. Instantly, the viewer is immersed in this operation and watches as the close-knit team loses its confident, veteran diffuser (Guy Pierce) to a deadly explosion in the very first scene. Welcome to the Hurt Locker.

The Hurt Locker has little discernible plot beyond the exquisitely realistic depiction of several days in the life of one of these three men teams. The daily routine involves patrols into areas of Bagdad that are identified as suspect by advanced marine units. The three man team we know from the opening scene now has a new diffuser, James. The team moves in and James dons the heavy uniform that makes him look like a ’60s era astronaut and the deadly game begins. One member of the unit provides cover, the second communicates with the diffuser, whose job it is to do his work under the watchful eyes of Iraqis, any one of whom can detonate a bomb by hitting a button on a cell phone. In one scene James (Jeremy Renner) discovers half a dozen bombs intricately interconnected and hidden in the trunk of a car. His response is to back away from the car, take off the useless suit, and go about his work. When the unit coordinator tries to communicate with James to tell him the job is too dangerous and to pull back James throws his earphones to the ground in frustration. Then he methodically disarms the six bombs and smiles as he finishes the job.

What makes such a man tick? How does he and the rest of the team function under the unremitting pressure? Sanborn (the command leader) played by Anthony Mackie hints at the answer when he socks James in the jaw for the violation of orders. He doesn’t want to get killed because of recklessness, nor does Eldridge the cover man, played by Brian Geraghty, who is counseled by a medic daily for his fear. Only James seems to have reconciled himself to the possibility of death as if it is a partner in a dance which entrances him.

No one can really know war unless they have participated in it. However, producer and director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, depict the Iraq war with an intensity that radiates with the heat of a desert patrol on a 120 degree day. The viewer knows that the film has elevated his/her understanding of the existential nature of war, an enervating and terrifying experience like no other.

The Hurt Locker. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Writen by Mark Boal. Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty.

Funny People?? (2009)

Pardon the sarcasm so early in the review but the movie is about being “star struck in LA” if nothing else. After knocking out consecutive comedy hits, “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and Knocked Up”, Apatow over-reaches himself with a two and a half hour comedy/drama/family portrait epic that had me questioning his intentions and the premise of the movie, are these people really funny? Adam Sandler certainly can be but his performances often reflect juvenile humor featuring cock, cunt, and can’t get any jokes. That seems to be the staple of jaded comedian George Simmons’ shows and they have brought him fame, fortune and boredom. He lives alone in a Hollywood mansion reflecting on the outrageous material success he has achieved juxtaposed with the emotional emptiness of his loveless life. Into this Hollywood cliché enters the Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment) dilemma, a fatal illness that causes the protagonist to reassess everything.

George does this by reviving his stand-up comedy career and hiring a struggling young comedian, Ira Wright (Rogin) as his personal assistant, joke writer and whipping boy. Ira plays the young guileless foil to the depressed George’s existential mid-life crisis. George does somber stand-up hinting at the futility of life and Ira tries to lighten him up with mediocre material. They banter quite a bit, mostly Sandler ridiculing Ira for his naivete and futility with women. How much of this is funny? Not enough if you laughed a lot at Apatow’s earlier movies.

Where things really go off Is when George re-ignite his relationship with his one true love, Lesley Mann who happens to be Apatow’s real life wife. She is married now and only agrees to see George when he hints about the seriousness of his illness. Sandler confesses his anguish at losing her and she acknowledges that he was always the one for her. George and Ira wind up driving to Marin county and getting enmeshed in her family while the traveling husband played by Eric Bana is away. Her family includes two young daughters played by Mann and Apatow’s two young daughters. The scenario take’s an awkward but not particularly funny turn upon the husband’s unexpected return and then continues far too long. Seeing home movies of the couple’s daughter convinces me there is too much Apatow and not enough entertainment to warrant either the hype or length of this project. I say back to hair removal and uncomplicated outrageous comedy in the next one.

“Funny People?” Written and directed by Judd Apatow starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogin, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Maude and Iris Apatow, numerous cameos by famous and semi-famous personalities such as Eminem, RZA, Azi Anzari and others, not to mention James Taylor(Bruuuuce’s people declined).