Brilliantly acted film depicting two soldiers whose job it is to inform families when loved ones are killed in battle. Harrelson has never been better and Foster more than matches him all the way. It's emotional and engaging and genuinely painful at times. I had always thought how hard it must be to carry out such a job but had never really considered just what psychologically damage it could do long term to the person doing it. Harrelson depicts a man who has been doing the job far too long brilliantly and Foster in turn shows just what it can do to you initially. It's a perfect blend and the chemistry is excellent from start to finish. Deserves a much wider release and is with out doubt one of the best films of last year.
110 Reviews
An Emotional Look Into the Psychological Effects of War
Lepidopterous_6 January 2010
The Messenger has incredible acting by Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, and Samantha Morton.
The film has a curious flow to it. It begins predictable, yet remains engaging, exposing a heart-breaking consequence of war no family wants to face. Although the news remains the same, emotions run just as deep at each door. Every scene is handled marvelously through subtle performances by the actors. As the film unfolds, the viewer sinks into the complex characters on screen, discomforted by the internal struggles that slowly surface.
The Messenger is a non-linear, character-driven film with exceptional performances but might not be for everyone.
The film has a curious flow to it. It begins predictable, yet remains engaging, exposing a heart-breaking consequence of war no family wants to face. Although the news remains the same, emotions run just as deep at each door. Every scene is handled marvelously through subtle performances by the actors. As the film unfolds, the viewer sinks into the complex characters on screen, discomforted by the internal struggles that slowly surface.
The Messenger is a non-linear, character-driven film with exceptional performances but might not be for everyone.
An even-handed study of the war at home
b1lskirnir18 October 2009
I saw The Messenger (as well as Oren Moverman and Ben Foster luckily) at the 2009 Philadelphia Film Festival and can say sincerely that I was captivated and moved by it for the majority of its runtime. No matter what your background or stance on the war, you need not worry because it is not a movie that attempts to have an opinion, but merely one that captures a different kind of war- one between civilians and the military, between following procedure and following what you believe.
In his last three months of service, Officer Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), is assigned to be a messenger to next-of-kins who have died in Iraq alongside the elder Lieutenant Anthony Stone (Woody Harrelson). He struggles with being the bearer of bad news to heartbroken parents and wives, delivering the messages to people of all ages, ethnicities, and social classes. His work becomes compromised, however, when complications with his girlfriend arise and he becomes involved with one of the widows, challenging his ethical and moral considerations. He plays the younger, more vulnerable to Harrelson's gruff, uncompromising, and often cold ethic.
The film is, in a word, compassionate, as it is almost entirely character-driven. The chemistry between Foster and Harrelson is incredible, demonstrating talent beyond the range of what one would expect for both actors. I would be very surprised if either one of these two were not nominated for an Academy Award. The cinematography is also very unusual, filmed in long takes, letting scenes unfold, rather than wide/medium/close- up/reverse formula, and heavily based on improvisation.
All in all, The Messenger is a touching story about the differences we can make in others' lives simply by being the right person to break the news and having an open heart. It's a tribute to the men and women in arms without letting political differences get in the way. A story of the war at home shared alike by civilians and military, it's hard not to feel emotionally affected.
In his last three months of service, Officer Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), is assigned to be a messenger to next-of-kins who have died in Iraq alongside the elder Lieutenant Anthony Stone (Woody Harrelson). He struggles with being the bearer of bad news to heartbroken parents and wives, delivering the messages to people of all ages, ethnicities, and social classes. His work becomes compromised, however, when complications with his girlfriend arise and he becomes involved with one of the widows, challenging his ethical and moral considerations. He plays the younger, more vulnerable to Harrelson's gruff, uncompromising, and often cold ethic.
The film is, in a word, compassionate, as it is almost entirely character-driven. The chemistry between Foster and Harrelson is incredible, demonstrating talent beyond the range of what one would expect for both actors. I would be very surprised if either one of these two were not nominated for an Academy Award. The cinematography is also very unusual, filmed in long takes, letting scenes unfold, rather than wide/medium/close- up/reverse formula, and heavily based on improvisation.
All in all, The Messenger is a touching story about the differences we can make in others' lives simply by being the right person to break the news and having an open heart. It's a tribute to the men and women in arms without letting political differences get in the way. A story of the war at home shared alike by civilians and military, it's hard not to feel emotionally affected.
Powerful with fantastic performances
Red_Identity5 January 2010
The Messenger is being overshadowed by other war films like The Hurt Locker, yet it is different and a great film. It has a very slow pace, but it has some incredibly powerful scenes and some amazing acting. Woody Harrelson is getting Oscar buzz for his performance, and he does deserve it. He has had a great year, with this and Zombieland. As great as he was, though, Ben Foster is just as great. Samantha Morton is probably better than both because she possesses a subtle and powerful gesture that only she has. I have only seen her in one other film, Synecdoche, New York, and she plays completely different types of personalities in both. Here, she is very quiet, but she is able to portray the reason why Foster's character is intrigued by her. The job that Stone and Montgomery (Foster and Harrelson) have is very difficult to do, and this is the first film to portray a job like that that I have seen. The director and writer did a great job. One of the flaws is that by the ending the film has no real directional focus, and this is a flaw in the screenplay. However, still a great film that should be seen not just for Harrelson but for the entire cast. Don't let the subject matter turn you away
one of the better Hollywood films to deal with the unpopular war in Iraq
gregking41 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Oren Moverman's moving drama is one of the better Hollywood films to deal with the unpopular war in Iraq, and the damage inflicted on soldiers and their grieving families. Like Stop Loss and its ilk, the film depicts how soldiers return home psychologically scarred by their experiences in combat and have trouble adjusting to the normal routine of life back home. In some cases the only outlet they have for their anger and frustration is alcohol or brawling, or else they often withdraw inside themselves.
The Messenger is set against the backdrop of the Casualty Notification Team, the special unit whose soldiers are charged with informing families of the death of their loved ones in combat. They get to see families on the worst day of their life. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) was wounded in Iraq and transferred home and temporarily assigned to the unit. He learns the ropes under veteran Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). While Stone is able to remain detached from the suffering and grief he witnesses, Montgomery is not so sanguine. He feels for many of the families, and he becomes emotionally involved with a recent widow (Samantha Morton).
Moverman's direction is sympathetic and restrained, but the anti-war message comes across strongly. Moverman draws superb performances from his cast. In his Oscar nominated role Harrelson delivers his best performance, and manages to convey the complexities and depth of his character. Foster is a revelation in the biggest and most emotionally challenging role of his career to date. And Steve Buscemi also registers strongly in a rare serious role as a bereaved father.
An interesting, moving and thought provoking film, well worth checking out.
The Messenger is set against the backdrop of the Casualty Notification Team, the special unit whose soldiers are charged with informing families of the death of their loved ones in combat. They get to see families on the worst day of their life. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) was wounded in Iraq and transferred home and temporarily assigned to the unit. He learns the ropes under veteran Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). While Stone is able to remain detached from the suffering and grief he witnesses, Montgomery is not so sanguine. He feels for many of the families, and he becomes emotionally involved with a recent widow (Samantha Morton).
Moverman's direction is sympathetic and restrained, but the anti-war message comes across strongly. Moverman draws superb performances from his cast. In his Oscar nominated role Harrelson delivers his best performance, and manages to convey the complexities and depth of his character. Foster is a revelation in the biggest and most emotionally challenging role of his career to date. And Steve Buscemi also registers strongly in a rare serious role as a bereaved father.
An interesting, moving and thought provoking film, well worth checking out.
Restrained and ambitious
oyason7 August 2010
THE MESSENGER is by far and away one of the best works of art that addresses the deep tragedy behind the current U.S. war in the Middle East that I've seen. THE MESSENGER is an attempt by Director Oren Moverman and screen writer Alessandro Camon to place themselves between the ears of two career soldiers who serve a vital place in U.S. Army Special Services, Casualty Notification teams who inform the families of soldiers that their family member has been killed in battle. As someone who remembers full well the devastating feeling you got in your insides when you saw these teams turn up at the quarters of friends and their families when my own father was serving in Vietnam in the late 1960s, I found the film an important effort.
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is a Iraqi war veteran recovering from a battlefield wound who is reassigned to a State Department and United States Army Casualty Notification team, which is led by Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). Montgomery is also facing an impending breakup with his girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone), who is playing him off against a wealthy, established suitor. When he is assigned to Stone's team, he is at first resentful. The military decorum which is demanded of the Casualty Notification Team is very exacting, with learned routines that come from a spit and polish military professionalism that requires a distance that is extremely difficult to attain.
What follows is a series of well connected vignettes, in which the younger soldier is asked to stride this nether world between the jaundiced, dry-drunk outlook of the seasoned bearer of bad news, Captain Stone. Stone is a bitter man with some frustrated ambitions of his own, which are revealed late in the film. Obsessed with sexual victories and teeter tottering between professional sobriety and complete emotional collapse, Stone is far from a steady colleague mentor. Encounters between he and Montgomery go into emotional roller coaster as each man learns to accept the other on his own terms while acting out an extremely trying professional military role.
In short time, Montgomery comes into contact with the widow of a soldier who sparks his interest, and becomes torn between professionalism and attraction to the young widow Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton). Montgomery is forced to grow into himself, despite his outward cynicism, and in short time begins to mentor his mentor, Captain Stone. The story has an open ending, with Montgomery seeking to be part of the life of widow Olivia as she is seeking to reestablish herself in New Orleans. No morals are offered, and this is the true strength of the work as a whole. There isn't much humor to be found here, but watch for the scene where a bender fried Montgomery and Stone attend the wedding reception of the woman who has broken Montgomery's heart. The lampoon of upper middle class phoniness is priceless.
The beauty of THE MESSENGER is that it does not fall into the usual pro war or antiwar camps that film making in an era like our own are usually so encumbered with. The film makers are ambitious and restrained. I have no idea whether the plot line is itself "contrived" as some here have argued, which I have to say is a rather ridiculous critique given that movies are rarely anything but "contrived", and this is particularly true of the genre we call the war film. Some who have written here seem to believe that the film discredits the "professionalism" of those who do the work of Stone and Montgomery, as though "professionalism" were itself some sort of fetish that protects one from emotional or mental illness generated by both war time trauma and the mystique of military culture. Such are the times in which we live, ideological blather is rampant.
THE MESSENGER is important because, in the words of that great Vietnam war era politician, the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson, it is art, it shows us who we are, not who we say we are, not who we think we are, but who we are as a people, and as a political culture. At various moments, it is clunky. But it is an early effort to give some true definition about what the debacle in Iraq has done to our culture, and to the people who are expected to do the dirty work of the empire's war machine. It is a rare gem in mainstream contemporary U.S. film making.
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is a Iraqi war veteran recovering from a battlefield wound who is reassigned to a State Department and United States Army Casualty Notification team, which is led by Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson). Montgomery is also facing an impending breakup with his girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone), who is playing him off against a wealthy, established suitor. When he is assigned to Stone's team, he is at first resentful. The military decorum which is demanded of the Casualty Notification Team is very exacting, with learned routines that come from a spit and polish military professionalism that requires a distance that is extremely difficult to attain.
What follows is a series of well connected vignettes, in which the younger soldier is asked to stride this nether world between the jaundiced, dry-drunk outlook of the seasoned bearer of bad news, Captain Stone. Stone is a bitter man with some frustrated ambitions of his own, which are revealed late in the film. Obsessed with sexual victories and teeter tottering between professional sobriety and complete emotional collapse, Stone is far from a steady colleague mentor. Encounters between he and Montgomery go into emotional roller coaster as each man learns to accept the other on his own terms while acting out an extremely trying professional military role.
In short time, Montgomery comes into contact with the widow of a soldier who sparks his interest, and becomes torn between professionalism and attraction to the young widow Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton). Montgomery is forced to grow into himself, despite his outward cynicism, and in short time begins to mentor his mentor, Captain Stone. The story has an open ending, with Montgomery seeking to be part of the life of widow Olivia as she is seeking to reestablish herself in New Orleans. No morals are offered, and this is the true strength of the work as a whole. There isn't much humor to be found here, but watch for the scene where a bender fried Montgomery and Stone attend the wedding reception of the woman who has broken Montgomery's heart. The lampoon of upper middle class phoniness is priceless.
The beauty of THE MESSENGER is that it does not fall into the usual pro war or antiwar camps that film making in an era like our own are usually so encumbered with. The film makers are ambitious and restrained. I have no idea whether the plot line is itself "contrived" as some here have argued, which I have to say is a rather ridiculous critique given that movies are rarely anything but "contrived", and this is particularly true of the genre we call the war film. Some who have written here seem to believe that the film discredits the "professionalism" of those who do the work of Stone and Montgomery, as though "professionalism" were itself some sort of fetish that protects one from emotional or mental illness generated by both war time trauma and the mystique of military culture. Such are the times in which we live, ideological blather is rampant.
THE MESSENGER is important because, in the words of that great Vietnam war era politician, the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson, it is art, it shows us who we are, not who we say we are, not who we think we are, but who we are as a people, and as a political culture. At various moments, it is clunky. But it is an early effort to give some true definition about what the debacle in Iraq has done to our culture, and to the people who are expected to do the dirty work of the empire's war machine. It is a rare gem in mainstream contemporary U.S. film making.
The military's desperate need for routine -- and for an escape from it
Chris Knipp22 November 2009
Don't blame the messenger. But we do. In a key speech, one of the protagonists points out that people don't like being reminded how horrible war is. Or that people die in it. Delivering such news is the job of Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson): informing, in Army jargon, the "N.O.K." (next of kin) that their loved one has just perished in Iraq. The movie's job in turn, I suppose, is to tell us how many lives war, or the latest one, wrecks. But this is, alas, likely to be another Iraq movie nobody will want to watch. 'The Messenger' is so downbeat and its action is stuck in so deep a rut that it never quite sings or emerges from its narrow context. Nonetheless the details are interesting, the feel is authentic, and the acting is excellent.
As 'The Messenger' begins, the captain is joined by Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (played by Ben Foster, who shone in 'Alpha Dog' and '3:10 to Yuma') -- a young man who has just recovered, physically anyway, from an explosive encounter in Baghdad that got a lot of his squad killed and gained him a medal. He's come back to find that his girlfriend (Jena Malone) is marrying somebody else. When he tries to relate to people, he tends to implode. Now he's assigned to spend his last three months of active duty with the captain, a shakily recovering alcoholic, who explains the rules and procedures of the difficult job of being (in the government euphemism) a Casualty Notification Officer, with grim, dictatorial bravado (Harrelson handling his "wild man" role with panache, restraint, and humor). You play it strictly by the book. You don't talk to anybody but the N.O.K. You do not wait around for the N.O.K. You get in, you say your piece, and you get out.
This is about the worst job you could imagine (or the Army could offer you), and, as shown here, downright dangerous. The N.O.K., especially if male, may not kill you, but they could very well physically attack you, and at the very least will launch into hysterics, or verbal abuse, or collapse and need immediate medical attention. Partly this movie is simply the study of a process most people don't know about, though again, they may not really want to know.
The plot has to escape its confining how-to format. It does so -- not altogether successfully -- by having Will, who has not really gotten with the program, decide early on to violate protocol and become involved with the bereaved Olivia (Samantha Morton), who has a young son, who's black, and has a sad sweetness about her. The encounters between Olivia and Will are painful and awkward, but touching and sad. Neither of them is ready for a relationship. Olivia is passive, and kindly. When the captain originally tells her of her husband's death, she shakes both soldiers' hands and says "I know this can't be easy for, you," -- "a first!" the hardened Tony later exclaims. Will desperately needs to be of help or maybe just to rest his head on Olivia's breast.
These people have nowhere to go -- though Olivia decides to head south. Painfully, all three reach out a little. Tony goes off the wagon ("I have to call my sponsor," he says, realistically, after a binge), but in doing so, and then going fishing and getting beaten up together, the two men bond.
The weakness of the thoughtful, well-informed screenplay by Alessandro Camon and Moverman himself (who collaborated with Todd Haynes on the script of 'I'm Not There') is that the romance is a non-starter, too much of a distraction from the bonding between Tony and Will. The men's raucous intrusion on Will's ex's wedding party is a good set piece, but both men could use more of a back story. Moverman is said to have seen action in the Israeli army, and the movie is at its best in capturing the feel of military life -- the edge of craziness after long service, and the desperate refuge in routine, with an equally desperate need to escape from it. For all its weaknesses, this is a reasonably promising directorial debut for Moverman, though, as I am not the first to say, it's not the greatj Iraq war movie Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker' is.
As 'The Messenger' begins, the captain is joined by Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (played by Ben Foster, who shone in 'Alpha Dog' and '3:10 to Yuma') -- a young man who has just recovered, physically anyway, from an explosive encounter in Baghdad that got a lot of his squad killed and gained him a medal. He's come back to find that his girlfriend (Jena Malone) is marrying somebody else. When he tries to relate to people, he tends to implode. Now he's assigned to spend his last three months of active duty with the captain, a shakily recovering alcoholic, who explains the rules and procedures of the difficult job of being (in the government euphemism) a Casualty Notification Officer, with grim, dictatorial bravado (Harrelson handling his "wild man" role with panache, restraint, and humor). You play it strictly by the book. You don't talk to anybody but the N.O.K. You do not wait around for the N.O.K. You get in, you say your piece, and you get out.
This is about the worst job you could imagine (or the Army could offer you), and, as shown here, downright dangerous. The N.O.K., especially if male, may not kill you, but they could very well physically attack you, and at the very least will launch into hysterics, or verbal abuse, or collapse and need immediate medical attention. Partly this movie is simply the study of a process most people don't know about, though again, they may not really want to know.
The plot has to escape its confining how-to format. It does so -- not altogether successfully -- by having Will, who has not really gotten with the program, decide early on to violate protocol and become involved with the bereaved Olivia (Samantha Morton), who has a young son, who's black, and has a sad sweetness about her. The encounters between Olivia and Will are painful and awkward, but touching and sad. Neither of them is ready for a relationship. Olivia is passive, and kindly. When the captain originally tells her of her husband's death, she shakes both soldiers' hands and says "I know this can't be easy for, you," -- "a first!" the hardened Tony later exclaims. Will desperately needs to be of help or maybe just to rest his head on Olivia's breast.
These people have nowhere to go -- though Olivia decides to head south. Painfully, all three reach out a little. Tony goes off the wagon ("I have to call my sponsor," he says, realistically, after a binge), but in doing so, and then going fishing and getting beaten up together, the two men bond.
The weakness of the thoughtful, well-informed screenplay by Alessandro Camon and Moverman himself (who collaborated with Todd Haynes on the script of 'I'm Not There') is that the romance is a non-starter, too much of a distraction from the bonding between Tony and Will. The men's raucous intrusion on Will's ex's wedding party is a good set piece, but both men could use more of a back story. Moverman is said to have seen action in the Israeli army, and the movie is at its best in capturing the feel of military life -- the edge of craziness after long service, and the desperate refuge in routine, with an equally desperate need to escape from it. For all its weaknesses, this is a reasonably promising directorial debut for Moverman, though, as I am not the first to say, it's not the greatj Iraq war movie Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker' is.
The Message: War Is a Deeply Sad Affair
evanston_dad3 August 2010
After countless inert and strangely uninvolving films that have been released over the last few years and have used the war on terror as a backdrop for their action ("Jarhead," "Rendition," "Stop-Loss," more I can't even recall at the moment), 2009 produced two films that finally feel plugged directly into the tone the war has taken in our culture -- one of wearying sadness.
One of those films was "The Hurt Locker," and the other is "The Messenger," Oren Moverman's somber and haunting story about a troubled soldier back from the front lines who's assigned the task of notifying people about the deaths of their loved ones in the conflict. I can't vouch for the accuracy of either film, but I can say that both communicate the same emotions I feel when I see or hear first-hand accounts about what's going on overseas. I'm not enraged or galvanized into either pro or con positions -- I'm simply depressed by the meandering, pointlessness of it all and the human waste.
The acting trio of Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, as Foster's instructor in how to be a harbinger of death and especially Samantha Morton, as the widow of one of the dead with whom Foster strikes up a romance of sorts, are formidable, and the film feels authentic in its settings and in the people who populate them. If you had to label the film one way or another, you would definitely have to come down on the side of anti-war. But it's really too resigned and matter-of-fact for that label to fit, and that's what I like about it. It almost seems to be saying that being anti-war is beside the point. Wars are always going to exist, and to be opposed to them is a waste of time. What's most troubling to think about are the innumerable number of lives that are going to be snuffed out because of them.
In a film filled with terrific scenes, the one that haunts me most is the one set in Morton's kitchen where she tells Foster about the relationship she shared with her dead husband. Filmed as one long take, the scene is mesmerizing, and Morton is so good I can't imagine how she managed to go overlooked at end-of-year awards time.
Grade: A
One of those films was "The Hurt Locker," and the other is "The Messenger," Oren Moverman's somber and haunting story about a troubled soldier back from the front lines who's assigned the task of notifying people about the deaths of their loved ones in the conflict. I can't vouch for the accuracy of either film, but I can say that both communicate the same emotions I feel when I see or hear first-hand accounts about what's going on overseas. I'm not enraged or galvanized into either pro or con positions -- I'm simply depressed by the meandering, pointlessness of it all and the human waste.
The acting trio of Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, as Foster's instructor in how to be a harbinger of death and especially Samantha Morton, as the widow of one of the dead with whom Foster strikes up a romance of sorts, are formidable, and the film feels authentic in its settings and in the people who populate them. If you had to label the film one way or another, you would definitely have to come down on the side of anti-war. But it's really too resigned and matter-of-fact for that label to fit, and that's what I like about it. It almost seems to be saying that being anti-war is beside the point. Wars are always going to exist, and to be opposed to them is a waste of time. What's most troubling to think about are the innumerable number of lives that are going to be snuffed out because of them.
In a film filled with terrific scenes, the one that haunts me most is the one set in Morton's kitchen where she tells Foster about the relationship she shared with her dead husband. Filmed as one long take, the scene is mesmerizing, and Morton is so good I can't imagine how she managed to go overlooked at end-of-year awards time.
Grade: A
American obsession with War trauma and Iraq but good movie
mrcibubur10 February 2010
Maybe its me or I am just getting tired of all these movies coming out focusing on Americas war involvement and the consequences of it. we had that tommy Lee Jones movie and his missing movie and in this Oscar run The Hurt Locker (which is streets ahead of this movie in terms of entertainment and quality).
The acting is on a par but the story is not and I find the Tony Stone character somewhat tiresome and tedious. Ben Foster acts extremely well but overall he is placid except for the little outburst at his ex-girlfriends engagement party.
After the first couple of home visits, I feel the film runs out of steam and we are distracted by Ben Fosters surprise and curious attraction to one of the widows to whom he has recently brought the bad news.
I can see why Americans have nominated it for awards but the rest of the world will not be so interested, unlike Hurt Locker, which has a more objective message.
Wont stay in the memory bank for long and Ben Foster will act better and get a more challenging role I hope.
The acting is on a par but the story is not and I find the Tony Stone character somewhat tiresome and tedious. Ben Foster acts extremely well but overall he is placid except for the little outburst at his ex-girlfriends engagement party.
After the first couple of home visits, I feel the film runs out of steam and we are distracted by Ben Fosters surprise and curious attraction to one of the widows to whom he has recently brought the bad news.
I can see why Americans have nominated it for awards but the rest of the world will not be so interested, unlike Hurt Locker, which has a more objective message.
Wont stay in the memory bank for long and Ben Foster will act better and get a more challenging role I hope.
NOT a war movie; NOT a movie about an ethical dilemma
pjpaix25 October 2009
I was fortunate enough to see this at the recent NY Drama Critics showcase, where both the director (Mr. Moverman) and a co-star (Woody Harrelson) participated in after-show Q&A. First of all, the film is superb - but the summaries I've seen so far do not do justice to what the movie is really about. Sure there are ethical dilemmas, sure there are soldiers who have returned from Iraq. But the great strength of this film is its focus on individual human beings and their reaction to humans' most important concerns: life, death and love. Oren Moverman - accomplishing this so beautifully, accurately and subtly in a small-budget film - is to be congratulated. Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster and Samantha Morton are all magically on the same wavelength in their performances. And the writing (by Camon and Moverman) acknowledges the fact that reasonably intelligent people might be watching... people who don't need every little detail spelled out. Oh yes - I should mention that there's a lot of humor interspersed throughout. The result of all this? The people you meet in this film will stay with you for a very long time - and you'll be glad for that.
Topic is Very Rich in Drama, but Execution is Too Turgid
3xHCCH21 December 2009
I watched this movie because of all the awards buzz it has gained recently. This includes a Best Supporting Actor nod for Woody Harrelson in one of year end critics awards.
The title refers to the thankless duty of notifying next of kin about the death of their loved ones in the War. That is the assignment given to Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) when he had to come from the war due to an eye injury during an explosion. We worked under the "mentor-ship" of seemingly no-nonsense Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson).
Once this premise had been established, you knew that the situations they would face would be richly infused with human drama, and they indeed were. To make things more interesting, Sgt. Will also had to face the problem of his girlfriend getting engaged to someone else, and the dilemma of getting involved with a widow to whom he delivered bad news of her husband's death. We also get to see what actually transpires tragically behind Capt. Stone's cold facade.
The screenplay effectively and interestingly mines all possible areas of personal conflict regarding the war situation at home. I'm going out on a limb to comment that there was a problem in the direction by newcomer Oren Moverman. The treatment was too turgid and slow. The actors, while very good in internalizing their roles, had that creepy vibe that makes empathizing with them difficult for me. While maybe that is what the director aims to achieve, this undignified portrayal of Will and Stone as private individuals detracts from my appreciation of this film as a whole.
The title refers to the thankless duty of notifying next of kin about the death of their loved ones in the War. That is the assignment given to Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) when he had to come from the war due to an eye injury during an explosion. We worked under the "mentor-ship" of seemingly no-nonsense Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson).
Once this premise had been established, you knew that the situations they would face would be richly infused with human drama, and they indeed were. To make things more interesting, Sgt. Will also had to face the problem of his girlfriend getting engaged to someone else, and the dilemma of getting involved with a widow to whom he delivered bad news of her husband's death. We also get to see what actually transpires tragically behind Capt. Stone's cold facade.
The screenplay effectively and interestingly mines all possible areas of personal conflict regarding the war situation at home. I'm going out on a limb to comment that there was a problem in the direction by newcomer Oren Moverman. The treatment was too turgid and slow. The actors, while very good in internalizing their roles, had that creepy vibe that makes empathizing with them difficult for me. While maybe that is what the director aims to achieve, this undignified portrayal of Will and Stone as private individuals detracts from my appreciation of this film as a whole.
The Messenger sticks with you
razmatazern1 June 2010
I'm normally pretty hesitant about watching movies that have to do with war, but I'm glad that I chose to watch The Messenger. The movie took a completely different stance than what I'm used to when watching a movie about war. I never really thought about the people that had to deliver the message about a loved one that died in the military, and the way the story is told made me really care for the characters and feel for Harrelson's and Foster's characters and the important job that they have to perform. I would never want to have to do their job, but I truly respect the people that have to perform that job on a daily basis.
Harrelson, Foster and Samantha Morton put on really powerful performances that I honestly believed. And the rest of the cast did a fine job, as well. The emotion was so intense that I could feel it, and I easily got sucked into the story. It was a powerful movie that really made me think about the hardships in a sincere and thoughtful way. Overall, I enjoyed the film and I will continue recommending it to all my friends because I think everybody should watch it at least once. The story sticks with you long after you finish watching the movie.
Harrelson, Foster and Samantha Morton put on really powerful performances that I honestly believed. And the rest of the cast did a fine job, as well. The emotion was so intense that I could feel it, and I easily got sucked into the story. It was a powerful movie that really made me think about the hardships in a sincere and thoughtful way. Overall, I enjoyed the film and I will continue recommending it to all my friends because I think everybody should watch it at least once. The story sticks with you long after you finish watching the movie.
A glimpse into the American lives.
honorhorror27 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Every country has an ego. In this sense, some part of our humanity has been stretched as far as possible, while other parts may have died an infant death. War might be the best highlight to show this process. Yet, The Messenger has no direct portrait on warfare, it only shows you the aftermath on certain human beings.
Recovered from severe injuries in Iraq, war hero Sergeant Will Montgomery(Ben Forster) got an easy job from headquarter, that he will deliver the casualty notification to the families. Mentored by the experienced Captain Tony Stone(Woody Harrison), he actually found the new assignment harder to swallow, as every casualty notification is like a sting to his scars not yet revealed to the audiences. While doing the job, he met his life-time friend Kelly and decided to let her go with her plan of marring another man. In their journey together, Stone kept pushing on his buttons with sarcastic comments on people's relationship. Will, depressed with the situation, seek solace from a widow whom he just notified of her husband's death. Out of ethical codes, both Will and this lady didn't go further in their friendship. After a quarrel about notification procedures, Will and Stone seek casual sex and indulged in getting drunk. They also showed up as unexpectedly on Kelly's wedding, which was messed up by their rude behaviors. After they got sober, Will opened up to Stone about his mental scar, that it was his carelessness that killed one of his comrades......
The Messenger is not a movie for entertainment, not even close. It's consistently depressing especially when tons of emotional bombs dropped on audiences when the family of dead soldier got the notification. If you ever had any grief-struck experience, these scenes can be extremely gut-wrenching. If you are deeply depressed, the later acts of the movie will even make you laugh...in a sad way.
The Americans already had their "Lost generation" in the 1960s and 1970s, which gave me, an Asian, an impression that the lost generation is past-tense. Yet, the modern American lives portrayed by the main characters rebuked this impression. Now, I know that Americans are still producing lost generations.
The whole cast in the movie is incredible, from Ben Forster and Woody Harrison to those little roles. The flow of story allowed you to savor their bitterness and get a glimpse in their vulnerable, yet well-concealed souls. The climax lead to Stone break into tears, which is both poignant and relaxing to see. In the term of narrating technique, the movie is quite an achievement.
7/10. Decently made. Recommend to my left-wing friends who hate Americans.
Recovered from severe injuries in Iraq, war hero Sergeant Will Montgomery(Ben Forster) got an easy job from headquarter, that he will deliver the casualty notification to the families. Mentored by the experienced Captain Tony Stone(Woody Harrison), he actually found the new assignment harder to swallow, as every casualty notification is like a sting to his scars not yet revealed to the audiences. While doing the job, he met his life-time friend Kelly and decided to let her go with her plan of marring another man. In their journey together, Stone kept pushing on his buttons with sarcastic comments on people's relationship. Will, depressed with the situation, seek solace from a widow whom he just notified of her husband's death. Out of ethical codes, both Will and this lady didn't go further in their friendship. After a quarrel about notification procedures, Will and Stone seek casual sex and indulged in getting drunk. They also showed up as unexpectedly on Kelly's wedding, which was messed up by their rude behaviors. After they got sober, Will opened up to Stone about his mental scar, that it was his carelessness that killed one of his comrades......
The Messenger is not a movie for entertainment, not even close. It's consistently depressing especially when tons of emotional bombs dropped on audiences when the family of dead soldier got the notification. If you ever had any grief-struck experience, these scenes can be extremely gut-wrenching. If you are deeply depressed, the later acts of the movie will even make you laugh...in a sad way.
The Americans already had their "Lost generation" in the 1960s and 1970s, which gave me, an Asian, an impression that the lost generation is past-tense. Yet, the modern American lives portrayed by the main characters rebuked this impression. Now, I know that Americans are still producing lost generations.
The whole cast in the movie is incredible, from Ben Forster and Woody Harrison to those little roles. The flow of story allowed you to savor their bitterness and get a glimpse in their vulnerable, yet well-concealed souls. The climax lead to Stone break into tears, which is both poignant and relaxing to see. In the term of narrating technique, the movie is quite an achievement.
7/10. Decently made. Recommend to my left-wing friends who hate Americans.
Contrived tale of Army Casualty Notification Unit
Turfseer10 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The job of notifying next of kin by the Army Casualty Notification Unit is an extremely sensitive one. Such a job is not entrusted to just anyone in the military—you have to undergo significant training before you're assigned to such a specialized unit. That's why it's hard to believe that Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) would be thrust into the job when he only has three months of enlistment time left. What's more, would the Sergeant have been chosen since he's only recently come back from Iraq and may have been traumatized there? As for his training, his commanding officer, Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), merely throws a training manual in his lap and expects him to learn the job as they go along.
To confess, I'm a bit biased against movies such as 'The Messenger' because I find characters who like themselves to be vastly more compelling and believable than those who don't. In general, characters who don't like themselves are dull and rarely add to the dramatic flow of the narrative (can you imagine a sad-sack Tony Soprano ever capturing the public's imagination?). The strategy of the Messenger's scenarists is to start us off with the two angst-ridden soldiers, Montgomery and Stone, and eventually show how they redeem themselves by overcoming their depressing background and circumstances.
Montgomery is basically a putz who can't accept the fact that his former girlfriend has dumped him and is now engaged to someone else (how many sad-sack soldiers do you know who would actually show up at an ex-girlfriend's wedding intoxicated and wearing unwashed military fatigues?). The implication of course is that somehow, due to being traumatized in Iraq, he would end up acting that way. The contrived wedding scene is designed to show Montgomery at his lowest moment—after acting in such a boorish manner, he can now redeem himself by lending a helping hand to Olivia (Samantha Morton), the widow who he recently notified that her husband had been killed in action.
Similarly, Captain Stone also has self-esteem issues. On the surface, his by-the-book demeanor masks a deep self-hatred. This is manifested in his constant skirt-chasing and avoidance of any meaningful relationships with women. The basic question arises: would the Military actually have put someone like Captain Stone in charge of an army Casualty Notification Unit (i.e. someone so broken and negative?). I would suggest that such a negative character is a complete exaggeration anyway, designed merely to create dramatic scenarios where none would exist truly in reality. But even if such a character existed, he would probably be the last chosen by the military to head a Casualty Notification Unit.
It takes a good deal of time before the central conflict comes to a head between Stone and Montgomery. And that is basically Montgomery believes in being a little more sensitive when notifying the next of kin as opposed to Stone who wants to follow 'procedures'. That's about the essence of the conflict between the two principals and when they finally confront each other, it's not much of a payoff. The sub-plot involves Montgomery trying to start things up with Olivia—his decision to not make the moves on her is designed to show that he's a 'good guy' after all and through his efforts to help her, shows that he's attained a measure of redemption.
The Messenger also consists of various scenes in which the next of kin are notified of the deaths of their loved ones. Given the variety of the people we meet, it's probably the most interesting aspect of the film. Steve Buscemi's performance is probably the most notable (for better or worse) of these characters, where he strikes Montgomery after being notified about the death of his son, and later offers a rather predictable apology.
I've read that the men and women who perform the job of the Casualty Notification Units are dedicated, trained professionals who by the nature of their employment, must set an example by living lives of great integrity (unlike the two troubled malcontents in 'The Messenger'). The contrived characters of 'The Messenger' do nothing to enhance the reputation of these specialized units; rather, their opposition feels artificial, contrived, all part of a plot artifice that calls for the type of conflict one might expect to see in the movies but never in real life. While I have no doubt, 'The Messenger' was meticulously researched as to how these Notification units operate, it still feels like it was written by an outsider. 'The Messenger' might have gotten many of its 'facts' right, but unfortunately I could not believe I was watching a story about real people.
To confess, I'm a bit biased against movies such as 'The Messenger' because I find characters who like themselves to be vastly more compelling and believable than those who don't. In general, characters who don't like themselves are dull and rarely add to the dramatic flow of the narrative (can you imagine a sad-sack Tony Soprano ever capturing the public's imagination?). The strategy of the Messenger's scenarists is to start us off with the two angst-ridden soldiers, Montgomery and Stone, and eventually show how they redeem themselves by overcoming their depressing background and circumstances.
Montgomery is basically a putz who can't accept the fact that his former girlfriend has dumped him and is now engaged to someone else (how many sad-sack soldiers do you know who would actually show up at an ex-girlfriend's wedding intoxicated and wearing unwashed military fatigues?). The implication of course is that somehow, due to being traumatized in Iraq, he would end up acting that way. The contrived wedding scene is designed to show Montgomery at his lowest moment—after acting in such a boorish manner, he can now redeem himself by lending a helping hand to Olivia (Samantha Morton), the widow who he recently notified that her husband had been killed in action.
Similarly, Captain Stone also has self-esteem issues. On the surface, his by-the-book demeanor masks a deep self-hatred. This is manifested in his constant skirt-chasing and avoidance of any meaningful relationships with women. The basic question arises: would the Military actually have put someone like Captain Stone in charge of an army Casualty Notification Unit (i.e. someone so broken and negative?). I would suggest that such a negative character is a complete exaggeration anyway, designed merely to create dramatic scenarios where none would exist truly in reality. But even if such a character existed, he would probably be the last chosen by the military to head a Casualty Notification Unit.
It takes a good deal of time before the central conflict comes to a head between Stone and Montgomery. And that is basically Montgomery believes in being a little more sensitive when notifying the next of kin as opposed to Stone who wants to follow 'procedures'. That's about the essence of the conflict between the two principals and when they finally confront each other, it's not much of a payoff. The sub-plot involves Montgomery trying to start things up with Olivia—his decision to not make the moves on her is designed to show that he's a 'good guy' after all and through his efforts to help her, shows that he's attained a measure of redemption.
The Messenger also consists of various scenes in which the next of kin are notified of the deaths of their loved ones. Given the variety of the people we meet, it's probably the most interesting aspect of the film. Steve Buscemi's performance is probably the most notable (for better or worse) of these characters, where he strikes Montgomery after being notified about the death of his son, and later offers a rather predictable apology.
I've read that the men and women who perform the job of the Casualty Notification Units are dedicated, trained professionals who by the nature of their employment, must set an example by living lives of great integrity (unlike the two troubled malcontents in 'The Messenger'). The contrived characters of 'The Messenger' do nothing to enhance the reputation of these specialized units; rather, their opposition feels artificial, contrived, all part of a plot artifice that calls for the type of conflict one might expect to see in the movies but never in real life. While I have no doubt, 'The Messenger' was meticulously researched as to how these Notification units operate, it still feels like it was written by an outsider. 'The Messenger' might have gotten many of its 'facts' right, but unfortunately I could not believe I was watching a story about real people.
Delightfully Depressing
JohnDeSando13 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"Where seldom is heard a discouraging word . . ."
All the words in The Messenger are discouraging, a film about two soldiers who deliver the news of deaths to next of kin. Ben Foster as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery and Woody Harrelson as Captain Tony Stone evoke the pathos and terror of the delivery, which no one could ever be prepared for or endure without pain.
Just as Kathryn Bigelow's Hurt Locker reduces the horror of the Iraq War to a manageable microcosm of the horror of IUD's with her study of a bomb squad, so too does director Oren Moverman take that war and crystallize it in the terrifying acts of delivering and receiving the Secretary of the Army's condolences. Never is there a light moment except when the two soldiers get drunk and sing Home on the Range, an ironic song of tranquility amidst chaos.
The dramatic moments of this memorable film are many because the premise should not be taken lightly or romanticized, like battle itself. The message of the film and its titular heroes is so desperately depressing that only superior actors such as Foster and Harrelson could make you feel at home on this range.
All the words in The Messenger are discouraging, a film about two soldiers who deliver the news of deaths to next of kin. Ben Foster as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery and Woody Harrelson as Captain Tony Stone evoke the pathos and terror of the delivery, which no one could ever be prepared for or endure without pain.
Just as Kathryn Bigelow's Hurt Locker reduces the horror of the Iraq War to a manageable microcosm of the horror of IUD's with her study of a bomb squad, so too does director Oren Moverman take that war and crystallize it in the terrifying acts of delivering and receiving the Secretary of the Army's condolences. Never is there a light moment except when the two soldiers get drunk and sing Home on the Range, an ironic song of tranquility amidst chaos.
The dramatic moments of this memorable film are many because the premise should not be taken lightly or romanticized, like battle itself. The message of the film and its titular heroes is so desperately depressing that only superior actors such as Foster and Harrelson could make you feel at home on this range.
Those Left Behind To Mourn
torstensonjohn13 June 2018
Since the early 50's war movies have set a precedence of being filled with the war itself, action and brutality. Here we have a war film completely opposite, the war at home of the families left behind when a soldier dies. Oren Moverman has delivered a punch to the gut with the movie that is driven from the notification process to families. A story strongly set up by Ben Foster's character Montgomery, a injured war hero who has only 3 months left on his tenure. He assigned to the Notification detail and has zero experience in how to grieve much less deal. Tremendous performances by Foster, Harrelson and Morton accompany a strong, well written script and musical score.
This film will make any person acknowledge the truth and sacrifice of every soldier. Solid, well done film. 7/10
This film will make any person acknowledge the truth and sacrifice of every soldier. Solid, well done film. 7/10
Unusual and sensitive
dzlz1051 December 2009
I will not reiterate the plot of The Messenger; it has been done exhaustively already. The relevant facts, to me, are: This movie is a work of art in which the intentions of the director, writer, cinematographer and actors are all united. The actors, especially leads Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton, give subtle, nuanced performances. The plot is not cookie-cutter; you cannot guess what is going to happen at every turn. It is serious at its core but is not devoid of humor.
Lately, I have been happier with the older movies I see on cable than the movies showing in theaters. This is the exception.
Lately, I have been happier with the older movies I see on cable than the movies showing in theaters. This is the exception.
Emotionally intense about destruction of war
starlit-sky14 October 2010
The Messenger is an emotionally intense movie. It shows the destruction of war extends far beyond the battlefield and hits the families at home. Staff Sergeant Will (Ben Foster) and Captain Tony (Woody Harrelson) team up as Casualty Notification Officers. Casualty Notifications Officers notify the next of kin on the death of their relative. When they hear the news, families are destroyed.
The first and second acts of the movie feel a little repetitive as they go from one family to the other and repeat the same generic script to each family. Each scenes is well-done and the acting is great. The dynamics between Will and Tony is also well-contrasted. Tony is a soldier who mechanically follows the procedure without getting his emotions involved in the case whereas his younger partner Will is new on the duty and displays emotions.
Overall, I thought this was a decent movie with great acting. The third/final act may leave you a little dissatisfied as it doesn't have a climax. The story is plain simple. Since there is no conflicts, there is no climax either. I think it may have worked better if there were a conflict between the two main characters which would be brought to a resolution. Or if there were flashbacks to what they experienced during the war, the actions scenes could add some depth to the story. But then again, this is a low-budget movie that draws its tone from acting alone.
The first and second acts of the movie feel a little repetitive as they go from one family to the other and repeat the same generic script to each family. Each scenes is well-done and the acting is great. The dynamics between Will and Tony is also well-contrasted. Tony is a soldier who mechanically follows the procedure without getting his emotions involved in the case whereas his younger partner Will is new on the duty and displays emotions.
Overall, I thought this was a decent movie with great acting. The third/final act may leave you a little dissatisfied as it doesn't have a climax. The story is plain simple. Since there is no conflicts, there is no climax either. I think it may have worked better if there were a conflict between the two main characters which would be brought to a resolution. Or if there were flashbacks to what they experienced during the war, the actions scenes could add some depth to the story. But then again, this is a low-budget movie that draws its tone from acting alone.
a sobering and striking drama
antoniotierno22 April 2010
Another gloomy drama depicting what life is like when back home in wartime; this movie features some really great acting performances and a subject that resonates every time very powerfully. The plot hasn't been developed too much, as the story feels more focused on the characters, on their moody and attitudes/emotions. It's about a remarkable direction relying very much on the introspective work of the lead actors. Ben Foster is terrific as a man permanently on the edge, Woody Harrelson excellent as well as one who's crossed the edge already. Impressive is also the approach to heroism, without ever simplifying it and with a strong attention to the story-telling detail. And even though the plot takes a couple of contrived turns, there's a subtle, observant film-making about what's going on inside the characters for a change.
Heavy stuff.
lewiskendell25 May 2010
This is some powerful stuff. It's not easy seeing people receive the worst news of their lives, over and over. Even when you know that what you're watching is not real, it's hard to forget that it's based on what actually happens every day. Each notification scene was like a nail in the heart, and that's not an exaggeration.
The rest of the movie isn't quite as poignant, but it's still worth watching. The Messenger is the story of a war hero who returns home, and is given the duty if notifying the next-of- kin of war casualties, for the last three months of his service. He's been wounded by his experiences, and his encounters with the family's of the dead (and one woman in particular) provide the driving force of the plot. But it's the way that those notification scenes are filmed - so raw and realistically uncomfortable - that will remain in your mind after the movie is over.
The rest of the movie isn't quite as poignant, but it's still worth watching. The Messenger is the story of a war hero who returns home, and is given the duty if notifying the next-of- kin of war casualties, for the last three months of his service. He's been wounded by his experiences, and his encounters with the family's of the dead (and one woman in particular) provide the driving force of the plot. But it's the way that those notification scenes are filmed - so raw and realistically uncomfortable - that will remain in your mind after the movie is over.
A highly emotional gem of a film!
RockPortReview18 May 2010
There has been a platoon full of bad Iraq war movies in the past few years, but it seems to be getting better. Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" took home the Academy Award for best picture for 2009, and "The Messenger" is just as engaging if not more so.
Directed by Oren Moverman, "The Messenger" is about least desirable job in the military, Casualty Notification Officer. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a pitch perfect cast in this intensely emotional film. Staff Sergeant William Montgomery (Foster) is back home recovering from a bomb blast when for the last three months of his service time he is assigned to a local Casualty Notification Team. It is Captain Tony Stone's (Harrelson) duty to show him the ropes. Stone, a Gulf War vet who never saw any real combat, is a recovering alcoholic and a very lonely man. He is like a hollowed out steel statue of a man, who has had to always keep a stern dignified face while delivering the worst news a family could possibly get. Sergeant Montgomery is a very skilled, very smart soldier but wonders how long he could last and against all protocol and judgment starts up a relationship with the widow of deceased soldier, played by Samantha Morton. This relationship is handled very well and like the rest of the film is grounded in reality.
The notification scenes are absolutely heart wrenching and feel as real as it gets. Director Moverman really did his homework on the material and wrote a fantastic script. He then surrounded himself with a group of the finest actors and craftsmen around and made a truly moving film. As for Woody Harrelson you kind of forget how good an actor he is. After last summers horror blockbuster "Zombieland" he proves time and again the kind of range he has. Then there is Ben Foster who has quietly built a reputation as one of the finest actors around with roles in big budget films and small independent films like this one.
The DVD has a 25 minute documentary about Casualty Notification Officer, a commentary track and a few other extras. A definite must see!
Directed by Oren Moverman, "The Messenger" is about least desirable job in the military, Casualty Notification Officer. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a pitch perfect cast in this intensely emotional film. Staff Sergeant William Montgomery (Foster) is back home recovering from a bomb blast when for the last three months of his service time he is assigned to a local Casualty Notification Team. It is Captain Tony Stone's (Harrelson) duty to show him the ropes. Stone, a Gulf War vet who never saw any real combat, is a recovering alcoholic and a very lonely man. He is like a hollowed out steel statue of a man, who has had to always keep a stern dignified face while delivering the worst news a family could possibly get. Sergeant Montgomery is a very skilled, very smart soldier but wonders how long he could last and against all protocol and judgment starts up a relationship with the widow of deceased soldier, played by Samantha Morton. This relationship is handled very well and like the rest of the film is grounded in reality.
The notification scenes are absolutely heart wrenching and feel as real as it gets. Director Moverman really did his homework on the material and wrote a fantastic script. He then surrounded himself with a group of the finest actors and craftsmen around and made a truly moving film. As for Woody Harrelson you kind of forget how good an actor he is. After last summers horror blockbuster "Zombieland" he proves time and again the kind of range he has. Then there is Ben Foster who has quietly built a reputation as one of the finest actors around with roles in big budget films and small independent films like this one.
The DVD has a 25 minute documentary about Casualty Notification Officer, a commentary track and a few other extras. A definite must see!
A very modern War Film....
tim-764-29185626 April 2012
Though The Messenger shows no actual combat or scenes of fighting, it would seem to be in the vein of some of the anti-Vietnam movies of say, Oliver Stone and such, showing an alternative way how war messes people up.
The Messenger is also a largely unlikeable film, being also difficult to watch and now, to review. A messenger in this sense is someone who has to knock on next-of-kin's doors and inform them that their son/daughter has been killed in action. Reactions, unsurprisingly are mixed and unpredictable.
Naturally, this requires a special type of person to handle such and in military captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), who's been decorated but also in A.A., we find a flawed and angry man. Taking on a younger new recruit, Staff Sgt Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) there's the obvious clash of experience and outlook and the even more inevitable buddy type of hanging out together.
Unfortunately for us, both men seem to like to resort to thrashing out heavy metal and punching the walls as a means of coping with the pent up frustrations that the job's rigid rules around emotion and self control insist upon. This makes it all jarring and unsettling, which may well have been what director Oran Moverman wanted. This is Moverman's first film and is reasonably accomplished.
There is some very welcome support from two of the world's finest character actors - Steve Buscemi and Brit Samantha Morton. They play father and wife, respectively of two entirely different men killed in Afghanistan and their characters feature big in the emotions of our two leads. Morton as widow, who Foster helps but fortunately (for both the film and us) does not get too emotionally involved, is probably the easiest role to both like and believe.
The Messenger is a well acted, reasonably well directed film but one that is also quite long. As I said, I didn't find it particularly enjoyable and as such, cannot personally readily extend to beyond 7/10.
The Messenger is also a largely unlikeable film, being also difficult to watch and now, to review. A messenger in this sense is someone who has to knock on next-of-kin's doors and inform them that their son/daughter has been killed in action. Reactions, unsurprisingly are mixed and unpredictable.
Naturally, this requires a special type of person to handle such and in military captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), who's been decorated but also in A.A., we find a flawed and angry man. Taking on a younger new recruit, Staff Sgt Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) there's the obvious clash of experience and outlook and the even more inevitable buddy type of hanging out together.
Unfortunately for us, both men seem to like to resort to thrashing out heavy metal and punching the walls as a means of coping with the pent up frustrations that the job's rigid rules around emotion and self control insist upon. This makes it all jarring and unsettling, which may well have been what director Oran Moverman wanted. This is Moverman's first film and is reasonably accomplished.
There is some very welcome support from two of the world's finest character actors - Steve Buscemi and Brit Samantha Morton. They play father and wife, respectively of two entirely different men killed in Afghanistan and their characters feature big in the emotions of our two leads. Morton as widow, who Foster helps but fortunately (for both the film and us) does not get too emotionally involved, is probably the easiest role to both like and believe.
The Messenger is a well acted, reasonably well directed film but one that is also quite long. As I said, I didn't find it particularly enjoyable and as such, cannot personally readily extend to beyond 7/10.
Wonderful
moviesleuth220 May 2010
Life for Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) and Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) is not pretty. They have the unenviable job of being a part of the Army's Casualty Notification Service. In other words, they have to tell the soldier's next of kin that their loved one has died. As one can imagine, this is not an easy task to perform, and it isn't any easier for us to watch.
This is a wonderful film, but the first half hour or so is like Independent Film-making 101. It shows what they do in an understated way to add a gritty sense of realism, and then afterwards the characters spout their philosophies of life and what not over drinks (well, at least Will does. Tony's been in AA for three years). This part is well-acted, so it's somewhat effective. But if you've seen a lot of Oscar bait films over the past few years, it seems a little redundant.
Fortunately, the film takes off about at half hour in, when Olivia Patterson enters the picture. She's played by the always exceptional Samantha Morton, so if anything, this should be a great time to have the film take off in a new direction. Olivia may not be a central character, but her character leads to some interesting developments, and co-writer/director Oren Movermen takes advantage of the opportunity.
The performances in this film are nothing short of amazing. Ben Foster is probably one of the most versatile young actors out there these days. It's a shame that movies are filled with teen idols with no talent (i.e. Robert Pattinson, or any hunky actor aimed at the "Twilight" crowd) are brought to the big time, while guys who actually CAN act, like Foster, are left to struggle. Granted, actual "actors" probably have the good sense to stay away from crap like "Twilight," but you get my point. Whatever the reason, Ben Foster is incredible. He's a nice guy, a little softspoken, but we can feel his pain about the emotionally painful job that he has to do. Likewise, Woody Harrelson is exceptional as Tony. Harrelson is known for his off-the-wall comedy appearances that would be at home in a Farrelly Brothers movie (he starred in their film, "Kingpin"), but he gives his best performance to date as Stone. He's a tough as nails, by the book kind of soldier, but he's also very vulnerable, particularly because of his alcoholism, and probably because the job he has affects him more than he would ever admit, and he's touched by Will's humanity. Samantha Morton is fine in a supporting role, but this film is more about Will and Tony than anything, and her romance is not especially important anyway.
Oren Moverman adopts a low-key but emotionally attuned tone for his film, and I was reminded of another Iraq war film, "In the Valley of Elah." However, this film works because it solves the problem that Paul Haggis' film had. We feel for and understand Will and Tony in a way that we didn't for Hank Deerfield.
As one might imagine, this is not a happy film, and some scenes are particularly hard to watch. But for those who like good cinema and outstanding performances, "The Messenger" is not to be missed.
This is a wonderful film, but the first half hour or so is like Independent Film-making 101. It shows what they do in an understated way to add a gritty sense of realism, and then afterwards the characters spout their philosophies of life and what not over drinks (well, at least Will does. Tony's been in AA for three years). This part is well-acted, so it's somewhat effective. But if you've seen a lot of Oscar bait films over the past few years, it seems a little redundant.
Fortunately, the film takes off about at half hour in, when Olivia Patterson enters the picture. She's played by the always exceptional Samantha Morton, so if anything, this should be a great time to have the film take off in a new direction. Olivia may not be a central character, but her character leads to some interesting developments, and co-writer/director Oren Movermen takes advantage of the opportunity.
The performances in this film are nothing short of amazing. Ben Foster is probably one of the most versatile young actors out there these days. It's a shame that movies are filled with teen idols with no talent (i.e. Robert Pattinson, or any hunky actor aimed at the "Twilight" crowd) are brought to the big time, while guys who actually CAN act, like Foster, are left to struggle. Granted, actual "actors" probably have the good sense to stay away from crap like "Twilight," but you get my point. Whatever the reason, Ben Foster is incredible. He's a nice guy, a little softspoken, but we can feel his pain about the emotionally painful job that he has to do. Likewise, Woody Harrelson is exceptional as Tony. Harrelson is known for his off-the-wall comedy appearances that would be at home in a Farrelly Brothers movie (he starred in their film, "Kingpin"), but he gives his best performance to date as Stone. He's a tough as nails, by the book kind of soldier, but he's also very vulnerable, particularly because of his alcoholism, and probably because the job he has affects him more than he would ever admit, and he's touched by Will's humanity. Samantha Morton is fine in a supporting role, but this film is more about Will and Tony than anything, and her romance is not especially important anyway.
Oren Moverman adopts a low-key but emotionally attuned tone for his film, and I was reminded of another Iraq war film, "In the Valley of Elah." However, this film works because it solves the problem that Paul Haggis' film had. We feel for and understand Will and Tony in a way that we didn't for Hank Deerfield.
As one might imagine, this is not a happy film, and some scenes are particularly hard to watch. But for those who like good cinema and outstanding performances, "The Messenger" is not to be missed.
Strong, necessary, well acted, but with a single theme to work with
secondtake31 May 2010
The Messenger (2009)
This isn't at all about great movie-making, but about a great idea with two knockout performances. To see grief this way, almost first hand, and to see how these two soldiers deal with it and are personally tormented by it, is eyeopening. Whatever your view of war, or of the Iraq/Afghan wars, this is one part of the reality. To avoid it is to be willfully blindsided.
But that's it. That's a lot, but that's it. There is the buddy film aspects of the two men (which wears thin, too, fighting drinking, going fishing) and there is something like a love affair at work (which comes with too much foreshadowing), but none of this human element really works on its own. It just supports the whole.
It's a sharp, moving movie. It'll make you cry more than once, if you feel for the actors. And it'll remind you of something we all need reminding of with this much force.
This isn't at all about great movie-making, but about a great idea with two knockout performances. To see grief this way, almost first hand, and to see how these two soldiers deal with it and are personally tormented by it, is eyeopening. Whatever your view of war, or of the Iraq/Afghan wars, this is one part of the reality. To avoid it is to be willfully blindsided.
But that's it. That's a lot, but that's it. There is the buddy film aspects of the two men (which wears thin, too, fighting drinking, going fishing) and there is something like a love affair at work (which comes with too much foreshadowing), but none of this human element really works on its own. It just supports the whole.
It's a sharp, moving movie. It'll make you cry more than once, if you feel for the actors. And it'll remind you of something we all need reminding of with this much force.
To quote George Clooney, "you can't make a great movie from a crappy script"
mdcjbt31 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this an incredibly clumsy film where the two main characters didn't really seem to be part of any military organization, completely on their own when not doing their notification duty.
The actual"notifications" seemed equally clumsy as if the director and screen writer hadn't bothered to determine the actual procedure (from a website):
"I've been trained to do Casualty Assistance and Notification duties ... When the casualty affairs office receives notice of a death, they wait on positive identification, then they look at the soldier's records to find out who to notify. While this is going on, the Casualty Notification Officer (CNO) is informed that there was a death, and has to don the proper uniform (Class A) and go to the Casualty Affairs office for a briefing. Part of the briefing is to receive a statement containing the proper words to use to tell the primary next of kin (PNOK)..."
Incredible that these two misfits would be entrusted with such a sensitive assignment and in the case of the Sargent, with no training whatsoever. There was no briefing re the KIA, just a beeper. And instead of a customized message, it was the same canned speech in every case.
The bonding of the officer and EM seems highly unusual, apparently both living off base which was never referred to.The Iraq veteran's health status was introduced but never resolved and the pair in fatigues crashing and being accepted/included in the Iraq vet's ex-girlfriend's engagement party seemed especially forced and unreal.
So, I go to IMDb and check the external reviews where every reviewer seems to have abandoned their critical faculties. Without exception, all are heaping high praise on it, I'm guessing eager to laud this "tribute" to the fallen and their families. I thought it was a very poor telling of a potentially great story.
The actual"notifications" seemed equally clumsy as if the director and screen writer hadn't bothered to determine the actual procedure (from a website):
"I've been trained to do Casualty Assistance and Notification duties ... When the casualty affairs office receives notice of a death, they wait on positive identification, then they look at the soldier's records to find out who to notify. While this is going on, the Casualty Notification Officer (CNO) is informed that there was a death, and has to don the proper uniform (Class A) and go to the Casualty Affairs office for a briefing. Part of the briefing is to receive a statement containing the proper words to use to tell the primary next of kin (PNOK)..."
Incredible that these two misfits would be entrusted with such a sensitive assignment and in the case of the Sargent, with no training whatsoever. There was no briefing re the KIA, just a beeper. And instead of a customized message, it was the same canned speech in every case.
The bonding of the officer and EM seems highly unusual, apparently both living off base which was never referred to.The Iraq veteran's health status was introduced but never resolved and the pair in fatigues crashing and being accepted/included in the Iraq vet's ex-girlfriend's engagement party seemed especially forced and unreal.
So, I go to IMDb and check the external reviews where every reviewer seems to have abandoned their critical faculties. Without exception, all are heaping high praise on it, I'm guessing eager to laud this "tribute" to the fallen and their families. I thought it was a very poor telling of a potentially great story.
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