It’s a testament to the power of expectations that The Hurt Locker, a masterfully crafted suspense film and one of the best war films I’ve ever seen, feels like a disappointment. Kathryn Bigelow’s film about a team that diffuses bombs in Iraq is the most critically acclaimed movie of the year, topping countless top ten lists and winning critics awards left and right. It’s really good, but it’s not that good.

Perhaps had I gone in not knowing what to expect I’d have emerged a bigger fan of the movie. But I have to admit I watched it expecting to be blown away — excuse the pun — and noticing when my reaction fell short of the mark. It’s a weird and unfortunate experience when you’re more caught up in your own digestion of a film than you are in the film itself.

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