The Hurt Locker (Movie Review)

 

A war movie that critics have labeled 'One of the best films of 2009.'

The Hurt Locker was written by Mark Boal and directed by Kathryn  Bigelow, who also directed such action films as Point Break and  Strange Days.

The independent film was first released in 2008 in Italy. The next year, The Hurt Locker was limitedly released in the U.S. Soon after the film started receiving positive reviews The Hurt Locker got a widespread release on July 24, 2009 and has so far made more than $16 million worldwide.

 What makes this film different from other past war films is that it does not follow the same concept of displaying high-octane combat and excessive bloody-violent sequences that are predictably shown in the battlefields of almost every war film. But, rather, The Hurt Locker focuses more on a war tactic that’s been overlooked in past films that being the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit (bomb squad). The film’s setting is in 2004, during America’s early invasion in Iraq. Sergeant First Class William James, (Jeremy Renner), becomes a team leader of a EOD unit that consists of two other army soldiers: Sergeant JT Sanborn, (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge, (Brian Geraghty).

The realistic setting can have viewers on the edge on their seats, as these soldiers are under great pressure to defuse these complex, intricately placed bombs before their “enemies” either try to shoot them and/or detonate the bombs. The movie gives two different perspectives on how these soldiers try to survive while in a hostile environment. Sanborn and Eldridge are used to being overly cautious when completing their missions, but their new team leader James throws caution to the wind, knowing that the risks he takes are a matter of life or death but is not over anxious and just focuses on living life day by day. In one scene James goes so far as to take off his bomb suit when attempting to defuse an explosive device, saying to Eldridge “If I’m gonna die, I want to die comfortable.” At first, Sanborn and Eldridge become threatened by James’ reckless behavior, feeling he is unnecessarily putting their lives in danger too.

The action and suspenseful moments in this film are worthwhile. The incredible acting is realistic with an added touch of drama without being too melodramatic.

Personally, the ending of the film is really good. When James returns home to his wife and baby, he tries to find some form of normalcy in his daily life but mentally is still reflecting about life on base. The difficulty in separating these two lives is evident when James makes conversation with his wife by casually talking about a gruesome event that happened during his mission in Iraq. A few months later, James returns to Iraq to serve another year with his EOD team. It is to no wonder why the beginning of the film stated, “War is a drug.”

Despite some questioning the authenticity of the film, several critics have praised The Hurt Locker. It has won various awards and has even been nominated nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeremy Renner), and Best Director.

Kathryn Bigelow has definitely set a high standard for other female action-film directors. Hopefully more female directors will embrace this genre in the near future.

Whatever a person’s political views are about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and whether or not it is a war that soldiers are dying in vain for; everyone can agree on that soldiers put their lives on the line for the sake of their country. They do their job no matter what and for this you can have nothing but respect for the sacrifices they’ve made. That is what The Hurt Locker portrayed so realistically; a soldier’s perspective on fighting the war in Iraq without any political agenda attached to the film.

The Hurt Locker is rated R and contains war violence and language.

Reviewer's Rating: 4 out of 5

Written by: Bridget Campos

Link: http://thecelebritycafe.com/reviews/hurt-locker-02-25-2010

Be Nice (Give It Up Like a Good Girl Should)

Note: Contains Some Explicit Content

Can’t Resist Your Mysterious Charm

Keeps Me Guessing What’s On The List For 2Day

My Heart Aches When I Dream Of You And Me Becoming A Unity

Just When I Think You Could Be My Everything

You Show Me Your True Identity

When You Say To Me:

'Be Nice (Be Nice)

And Give It Up (Give It Up)

Like A Good Girl Should'

You Tell Me:

'Be Nice (Be Nice)

And Give It Up (Give It Up)

Like A Good Girl Should'

Tell Me All The Sweet Things You Want To Say

You Know, The Stuff You Say When I’m Naked

How I’m A Sight To Be Seen And Not Heard

Looking For A Good Time Is The Only Thing On Your Mind

Treat Me Like A Hot Mess Like You Know What’s Best

Keeps Me Guessing What’s On The List for 2Day

Displayin’ Your Masquerade

Hoping Not To Get Caught Up In Your Own Game

This Battle Of Wills Won’t End Until I Realize

You Don’t Want To Be With Me

Just Bust A Load On Me

Treat Me Like A Hot Mess Like You Know What’s Best

Keeps Me Guessing What’s On The List For 2Day

Displayin’ Your Masquerade

Hoping Not To Get Caught Up In Your Own Game

In Reality You’re Too Much For Me

With So Many Possibilities

But You Choose Only One Destiny

Being The Life Of The Party

Your Never-Ending Fill Of The Thrill

But You Didn’t Realize Your Last Chance Went Bye-Bye

(Written By: Bridget Campos)

Does Not Going to College Make You a Loser?

Months before graduating from high school, teens can face a flurry of questions from parents, guidance counselors and friends about what do they plan to do with their life after high school. Teens do tend to avoid these questions because even they haven’t got a clue of what to do next. This can seem like a lot of pressure to them, because they don’t want to let their loved ones down. Of course, some teens already have their whole life planned out for them. Usually, after high school, they further their education by attending the same college and fraternity their parents and grandparents attended, so that they can pass this tradition down to their children and so on. However, certain people are not able to attend college due to financial or family-related circumstances. So what does this mean? Should a person just write themselves off as having an unsuccessful future just because they didn’t attend college?

No matter what college advisors would say otherwise, attending college is not a guarantee of success in the field you endeavor. Everywhere you look; there are advertisements that bombard people to attend college in order to have a successful life. Teens are lured into thinking that after graduating from college they’ll make lots of money, drive a sports car and own a luxurious dream house. So they jump on the bandwagon with dollar signs in their eyes, hoping that their diploma will be their golden ticket to help them get everything they’ve always wanted. But during their freshman year, their expectations change rather quickly as college is not as easy as it seems. After graduating, some have difficulty getting hired due to lack of work experience and/or being over qualified. In some cases, people won’t even get an interview if they did not graduate from a “well-known” school. In the end, most graduates are stuck with a mounting debt, and have no choice but to find any job that is available, even if it is not what they had majored in, and not to mention getting paid much less than what they'd hoped for.

This is not to say that everyone that attends college won’t make any money and never pursue the field they’d studied, but rather the point is in some fields, colleges are turning out more graduates than there are available jobs. Some might say, “Well, if having a degree is not that important than why do so many jobs require one?” According to an article titled, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” written by Charles Murray, brings up a point as to why employers require a degree. He states, “Employers value the B.A. because it is a no-cost (for them) screening device for academic ability and perseverance. The more people who go to college, the more sense it makes for employers to require a B.A. Knowing this, large numbers of students are in college to buy their admission ticket—the B.A.” In some cases, employers feel that people with a college degree are more likely to have better social skills, communicate more effectively, and better at presenting themselves professionally. Whereas a person without a college degree, or didn’t graduate from high school, lack in social skills, tend to be more abrasive and more likely to commit crimes, which I don’t agree with. Personally, it’s unfair to judge a person’s capability based on what area they grew up in.

Just for clarification, in no way is this article encouraging a person not to attend college, but rather to be more informed of what other options there are besides college. For some teens is it difficult to explain to their parents that they don’t want to attend college. But parents feel that college is the only way their kid(s) can have a successful future. Though your parents mean well and want what is best for you, in the end it is your life. So, talk with your parents and try to compromise by meeting them halfway. Maybe by taking a short-term college course, or an apprenticeship program, or even getting a trade so you can obtain a license in a particular field. If you already know what you want to do in life, do research on what requirements are necessary for a particular job. If you are looking for a job solely based on making lots of money, it's best to find a job that is in high demand, but with limited competition. Murray also mentions that, “The income for the top people in a wide variety of occupations that do not require a college degree is higher than the average income for many occupations that require a B.A.” But if you want a job that is based on what you have a passion for, regardless of how much money you make, than choose a field that best fits your interests.

Sometimes, right after people graduate from high school they start working by taking the lowest position within a company and in time work their way up to becoming a manager of their own dept., or even obtaining a much higher position. The key to success in the work force is having tenacity, being a hard worker, and setting realistic goals. Having book smarts and being business savvy are completely different. Even if a person is not able to attend college it doesn’t make them any less of a human being. But that doesn’t mean a person has to stop learning new things. As corny as it sounds “Knowledge is power.” You don’t need a four-year degree to read a book. The more a person is informed of their rights, the less likely they’ll be taken advantage of.

Written by: Bridget Campos

Originally posted on December 22, 2009

Link: http://sahmanswers.com/news.php?readmore=1668

F*ck Off! Punk Music is Dead

This Ain’t The First To Be Said

Punk Music Is Dead

This Ain’t The First To Be Said

Punk Music Is Dead

Calling Of The Social Misfits Of Society

Created The Punk Scene

Seeing Rules As A Gag

And Spitting On the Flag

Made Kids Embrace This Fad

Society Said It Wouldn’t Last

It Wouldn’t Last

It Didn’t Last

Where Are Your Leaders From 30 Years Past?

Dookie Seemed Hopeful

But Got Tainted By Bubblegum Flava

Suburban Kids Took Hold Of The Punk Scene

That’s Now Just A Fashion Accessory

Offspring Gave Birth To A Generation of So-Called Rebels, Indeed

That Was Choked By The HOT TOPIC Of Fashion

And The Soulless Aim Of Money & Fame

Out Went The Punk

In Came The Kiddie Play

Rebels Left The Scene

Away From The Shitty Mainstream

Society Won This Victory

Chanting To The Rebels Underground

Punk Music Is Dead

Na Na Na Na Na

Punk Music Is Dead

Died A Long Time Ago

Not Coming Back

Punk Music Is Dead

(Written By: Bridget Campos)