The film doesn’t necessarily have a standard move-forward plot; it simply counts down the days until their rotation is up, and they can go home. James is definitely on the Oscar-nomination list. He portrays an overly cocky bomb technician who doesn’t do it for glory, awards or recognition; he does it because of the simple joy of doing it, the adrenaline rush. Regardless that his predecessor died on the job, James continuously disregards protocol, aware of his own skill. Often times, there are multiple civilians watching from balconies, with most certainly the bombs maker watching, pitting one professional against another.

Trying to keep the cocky James in line is Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), head of the support team covering James. Sanborn is in charge of everything from scanning rooftops for snipers, providing covering fire, assisting James through radio contact and helping James in and out of the bomb technician gear. Sanborn has a watchful eye on everything and because of the nature of his job, he is used to being in charge. That doesn't sit well with James, and the two are constantly clashing.

“The Hurt Locker” is directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and written by her current love interest, Mark Boal, who was stationed with a bomb squad in Baghdad. He also wrote “In the Valley of Elah” (2007), a spectacular movie with Tommy Lee Jones trying to solve the murder of his son who had just returned from Iraq, which was also based on fact.

“The Hurt Locker” brings with it an intensity that is hard to capture on film. The film is so riveting that I could hear your heart pounding in my chest. I think it is impossible to walk out of that film and not feel shaken, being shown a world where people are constantly flooded with such adrenaline. I found myself wondering how they can think properly.

There are no fake devices used to build suspense, as in so many movies, the suspense is real. Hitchcock said it perfectly, “When there is a bomb under a table, and it explodes, that is action. When we know the bomb is there, and the people at the table play cards, and it doesn’t explode, that is suspense.”

“The Hurt Locker” is a great, intelligent, and suspenseful film depicting the unrecognized heroes, the madmen who get off on things that overwhelm most people to the point of they can’t even see clearly.

War is a drug, the adrenaline can be addicting.

Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide Nick Jones rates “The Hurt Locker” four-and-a-half Palm Trees.

For more about “The Hurt Locker,” click here.

To see where “The Hurt Locker” is playing locally, click here.

Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide Nick Jones is a film critic and writer. Originally from the East Coast, Nick followed his family out to California and he now lives and reviews movies here in the Coachella Valley. Nick covers film events in Palm Springs and throughout the Coachella Valley.