Despite having some anti-war elements, “The Hurt Locker” film has been seen by many on the Left as being too sympathetic to the military.

The movie presents the Iraq war through the eyes of a U.S. bomb technician who is stationed there. The character is so obsessed with his dangerous duties he places his fellow soldiers’ lives at risk.

The American Prospect said it was “a remarkably effective military recruiting tool.”

In somewhat of a surprise, the movie was dubbed best picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. George Clooney’s film “Up in the Air” placed second. The L.A. critics also gave a best director honor to the overlooked Kathryn Bigelow.

If “The Hurt Locker” can pick up momentum through some of the other pre-Oscar awards, it may become an Academy Award contender.