"The Hurt Locker" - for people who hate war movies, like myself.

As moving and as powerful as any of the Harry Potter series, without all the owls, wands and potion distractions, is "The Hurt Locker". Thank God the lead actor Jeremy Renner (hope that's spelled right) just got nominated for an Oscar, he deserves it. Really, the entire cast does, it's small (the main cast) and so potent you never forget each face. As the main character James, his acting is so deftly directed that you would never know he's kindof a rookie actor, he makes each scene look to realistic, you'd never know this is his first lead role.
To describe the plot to this movie is like trying to describe a plate of gourmet food- you have to see it to understand and taste it. It's not an "anti-war movie" as some may try to view it as, rather the most plain and simple, truthful tale of a few men's experiences at battle in the Mid-East. It is a statement about the total utter black and white truth of our existence- one minute you're here, the next you could be gone, and no amount of voting, self-righteousness, or moral relativity will make a difference. It is also a huge statement about soldier's culture shock when they come back "home." My husband was in the Air Force for nine years, the last few with me, and he was in Saudi when the USS Cole was attacked. This is small beans to some who haven't had the opportunity to live with, befriend, or marry someone who has served in some way. Others understand the significance of it when they actually talk to a soldier who has lived for more than a few months away from his family and friends. The problems that exist upon returning home are but mere specks on a windshield compared to the problems elsewhere.
But this movie seemed to me to be more about a generic thought process, rather than a particular person. Even though you feel sentimental about the characters, there is an aloofness about them that is totally appropriate to how most soldiers behave when they are sitting in a base somewhere on sandy soil. They are from one minute hamsters in a cage to the next, completely using every brain cell to figure out how to survive the trip wire planted in the car they stand next to. The action in this film is the most intense I have seen in years. You will not stop, unless by a crying baby, until the end. It is that good. I hope it wins the Oscar for best picture this year.