[7]

Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, Near Dark) won the Oscar for directing this suspense thriller about three soldiers who disarm bombs in Iraq. The movie also won Best Picture, maybe just because nothing better came out during the year (except the REAL best picture, District 9, but I digress). It’s far from groundbreaking and surprisingly predictable — but it’s a brisk, entertaining flick that hits the ground running and never eases up on the tension. Good performances from Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty. Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce pop up in supporting roles.

Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing

Nominations: Leading Actor (Jeremy Renner), Cinematography, Score