24 May 2012

a potent and deeply emotional drama

The Messenger is a superbly crafted film that shows us an aspect of war we don't often see on the screen--the military duty to give a "casualty notification," which means they have to inform next of kin that their relative died while serving in the military. Just as others have said, this film is neither anti-war nor pro-war; it examines this single aspect of war, a horrendous consequence of war that no one can deny. The cinematography and the choreography are wonderful; and I am very impressed with the largely improvised scenes in which people are told their relative died. In addition, the script was wonderful and the casting couldn't have been done any better. When the action begins, we meet Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) who has been injured in Iraq; his left eye and one of his legs were wounded and it's not at all certain that he will fully recover his sight in that eye and the complete use of his leg. Will has three months stateside to finish his enlistment; and he is consequently assigned to "a sacred mission" by Colonel Stuart Dorsett (Eamonn Walker): informing next of kin that their relatives have died while serving in the military. Especially because Will has no training in this field, Colonel Dorsett assigns Will to work with the tough as nails and by-the-book Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) so that Tony can show Will the ropes. At the same time Will has the bitter disappointment that his now former girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone) has left him for another man while he was in Iraq. We soon see that casualty notification isn't easy. Tony and Will get spit at, slapped in the face and more when the next of kin gets the bad news; their reactions are hard just to watch but it's all very realistic. However, one newly-widowed woman, Olivia (Samantha Morton) remains relatively calm and she instantly strikes Will as being remarkable; and gradually Will and Olivia develop a relationship that is strictly against military policy. Tony, of course, is against this although he can relate to Will's need for a woman; and while all this goes on Will's relationship with Tony develops in unforeseen ways as well.The plot can go in several different directions from here but I don't like to give spoilers--I don't want to ruin it for you! However, I must say that Woody Harrelson gives a brilliant performance as Captain Tony Stone and Ben Foster plays his role very well. Look also for a solid performance by Will's old girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone). The DVD has some extras; there is an optional running commentary with director and co-writer Oren Moverman, Lawrence Inglee, Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson; and the "Going Home" brief featurette with the principle actors and filmmakers discussing the film is excellent. There's also a short film that has interviews with real life people, not actors, who have lost relatives in Iraq or Afghanistan and what their experience with casualty notification was like for them. The Messenger seems rather overlooked and underrated as a motion picture and I'm not sure why this is. It deals very honestly with the human pain and suffering that go hand in hand with the horrific consequences of combat fighting in war. I highly recommend this film for anyone who wants to see a very high quality, timely film about war and people who like the actors in this film would do well to add this to their collections, too.

ppazniokas

23 May 2012

NOT a war movie NOT a movie about an ethical dilemma

I was fortunate enough to see this at the recent NY Drama Criticsshowcase, where both the director (Mr. Moverman) and a co-star (WoodyHarrelson) participated in after-show Q&A. First of all, the film issuperb - but the summaries I've seen so far do not do justice to whatthe movie is really about. Sure there are ethical dilemmas, sure thereare soldiers who have returned from Iraq. But the great strength ofthis film is its focus on individual human beings and their reaction tohumans' most important concerns: life, death and love. Oren Moverman -accomplishing this so beautifully, accurately and subtly in asmall-budget film - is to be congratulated. Woody Harrelson, Ben Fosterand Samantha Morton are all magically on the same wavelength in theirperformances. And the writing (by Camon and Moverman) acknowledges thefact that reasonably intelligent people might be watching... people whodon't need every little detail spelled out. Oh yes - I should mentionthat there's a lot of humor interspersed throughout. The result of allthis? The people you meet in this film will stay with you for a verylong time - and you'll be glad for that.

19 May 2012

Would have been a good movie

This could have been a great movie if it had not been for the offensive language and the nudity. I thought it was about notifying family about the loss of their loved one in a war. That's what it was supposed to be about but because of all the vulgar language and nudity, I couldn't watch it for even 30 minutes. I was so disappointed. I saw one occasion of family notification but the rest of what I saw and heard was vulgar language and nudity. It's too bad that so many movie makers seem to think they have to include such scenes in films in order for them to sell. In my opinion, adding such scenes does not honor our soldiers at all. What a shame.

DarthVoorhees

18 May 2012

The victorious dead...

"The Messenger" is a brilliant film which taps on the nerve of therecent Iraqi conflict. In some ways it has more power than the muchmore successful "Hurt Locker". What I admire about it is it's humanquality. I personally have a bad taste for military films. Conscious ornot they always have an agenda. Through out the history of the war filmwe have seen two extremes and nothing else. There is either a militaryfetish in war films or they despise war and everything about it. Thisisn't real and these approaches can't touch reality. "The Messenger"feels real and touches upon the human quality of life."The Messenger" touches upon brilliant commentary. Woody Harrelsongives a memorable performance as Captain Tony Stone. Stone has visitedthe houses of the victims of war to the point where it has become acold inhuman process. It's his 9 to 5 job. "There's no such thing as ahappy customer" he places in his lecture. Stone isn't a hero, neitheris his trainee Montgomery who was told he was by his higher ups. Arethe people coming home in boxes heroes? "The Messenger" isn't a filmabout achieving glory and heroism on the battlefield. It is about thelabels that come with a military uniform. Stone lives ashamed that henever got his baptism under fire and has made a living out ofdelivering the fates of more worthy men to their next of kin. He drinksto null the pain and his sense of unworthiness. In all honesty I don'tthink this film works if it is about any other war than our currentIraqi conflict. The rhetoric of the battle of good vs evil that theBush administration tried to use to create a war hungry conscious islost on these men. They don't see goodness in themselves. Both men feelunworthy and merely go through the motions of expressing what everfeelings they might have.The subplot involving Montgomery is brilliant. He falls for a war widowthat he delivered the news of her husband's death to. He doesn't seehimself as a hero and envies this woman's scenario. Her husband didn'tget to come home to a loving wife and his blue collar lifestyle.Montgomery the loner with no self purpose would give anything to puthimself in his shoes.

Mike B

17 May 2012

The Messengers get Drunk

The Messenger starts off with some intense encounters between twosoldiers and their parents and/or spouses. The two soldiers are thebearers of the excruciating news of the death of fellow soldiers. Theseencounters are vividly portrayed.There is a growing dissension between the two of them about the natureof this 'delivery'. It appears to reach a breaking point when theyounger soldier physically consoles the parents of a dead soldier.'Touching' is not a part of the 'delivery system'.Sadly at this stage the movie collapses and the soldier 'men' becomesoldier 'boys'. The intensity evaporates into a 'National Lampoon' of'lets' get some broads and get drunk'. After the drunken orgy theycrash a wedding of an ex-girlfriend of the younger soldier. It's almostlike two separate movies. After the wedding there is an attempt tore-establish the former somber mood, but the damage has been done.It's a tremendous let-down because we do expect a 'message' in the 'TheMessenger'. Something to tell us of the effect of this unusual anddemanding job. What we get is cathartic drunkenness.

brocksilvey

17 May 2012

The Message War Is a Deeply Sad Affair

After countless inert and strangely uninvolving films that have beenreleased over the last few years and have used the war on terror as abackdrop for their action ("Jarhead," "Rendition," "Stop-Loss," more Ican't even recall at the moment), 2009 produced two films that finallyfeel 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 "TheMessenger," Oren Moverman's somber and haunting story about a troubledsoldier back from the front lines who's assigned the task of notifyingpeople about the deaths of their loved ones in the conflict. I can'tvouch for the accuracy of either film, but I can say that bothcommunicate the same emotions I feel when I see or hear first-handaccounts about what's going on overseas. I'm not enraged or galvanizedinto either pro or con positions -- I'm simply depressed by themeandering, pointlessness of it all and the human waste.The acting trio of Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, as Foster's instructorin how to be a harbinger of death and especially Samantha Morton, asthe widow of one of the dead with whom Foster strikes up a romance ofsorts, are formidable, and the film feels authentic in its settings andin the people who populate them. If you had to label the film one wayor another, you would definitely have to come down on the side ofanti-war. But it's really too resigned and matter-of-fact for thatlabel to fit, and that's what I like about it. It almost seems to besaying that being anti-war is beside the point. Wars are always goingto exist, and to be opposed to them is a waste of time. What's mosttroubling to think about are the innumerable number of lives that aregoing to be snuffed out because of them.In a film filled with terrific scenes, the one that haunts me most isthe one set in Morton's kitchen where she tells Foster about therelationship 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 shemanaged to go overlooked at end-of-year awards time.Grade: A

13 May 2012

Timeless, powerful, deeply moving.

*** This review may contain 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 one's. 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.

Jon Hicks

13 May 2012

A Character Driven Story, Hailing Back to the 70s

Oren Moverman makes a strong directorial debut after having quite a bit of success as a screenwriter. Here, he relies heavily on his strength for story, yet still finds powerful sequences of visual beauty. Ben Foster plays Will Montgomery, an injured soldier, hardened by war, forced to work alongside a Gulf War Vet. Together they travel through New Jersey informing family members that their son, daughter, husband or wife has died in combat. Montgomery fights this position that requires such human contact, but soon finds kinship with a young mother whose soldier husband has just died. Moverman echoes back to the films of Hal Ashby and Robert Altman in several sequences, using long takes and a constantly probing camera lens. Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton all give very strong performances in their respected roles. The weakness, if the only one, comes in Jena Malone's character and performance. Her development is weak and, worse of all, she never fully commits to the words or moments being experienced by her character. This drags the pacing of the story, but this is only a minor complaint because she requires very little screen time. This only further pushes the need for a stronger development, yet she fails. However, Foster, Harrelson, Morton and Moverman all succeed in accomplishing something truly honest and sincere in every moment the audience gets to experience with them.

09 May 2012

Boring

It is a 15 minute story stretched into 118 minutes of sheer boredom. So boring that I started skipping through the last half of the movie. Glad I streamed it instead of buying. Definitely goes into my "never again" list.

DjMethod

09 May 2012

An Emotional Look Into the Psychological Effects of War

The Messenger has incredible acting by Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, andSamantha Morton. The film has a curious flow to it. It begins predictable, yet remainsengaging, exposing a heart-breaking consequence of war no family wantsto face. Although the news remains the same, emotions run just as deepat each door. Every scene is handled marvelously through subtleperformances by the actors. As the film unfolds, the viewer sinks intothe complex characters on screen, discomforted by the internalstruggles that slowly surface. The Messenger is a non-linear, character-driven film with exceptionalperformances but might not be for everyone.

playful_boricua69

09 May 2012

very good

I really liked this movie .. omg it made me cry so much.. but the only thing i dont like .. is that it shows a completely naked girl.. i mean do i really need to see a croch on a movie like that... the nudity to that extream it wasnt nessesary... but other than that it was a really good movie..

Floated2

08 May 2012

Great acting but not really moving

The Messenger has some great acting performances from the main cast(Ben Foster & Woody Harrelson), that goes from very subtitle toemotional. Yet, the film didn't seem that moving to me. Even during itsfirst 40 mins when Will (Foster) and Tony (Harrelson) were giving thenotifications. The expressions from the family members felt a littleforced and over the top, specifically the first family who they givethe notification (the girlfriend and mother), and Steve Buscemi'scharacter. He just overreacted and it seemed a little humorous. Also,the film has a very slow pace and many people would consider the filmboring because of its pacing. I think it starts off pretty good (eventhough its slow), then when the love interest (Olivia) of Will comesin, the film gets rather boring and feels more awkward. I really didn'tlike her character at all, and the love chemistry didn't feel veryconvincing. I felt those scenes brought down the film. Many of thosescenes didn't have Woody Harrelson and it ended up being boring.Many scenes were pretty funny (unintentiannally?). Some for example,include: Tony falling off the canoe, the little scrap with the 3 guysby the lake, the interruption at the wedding, the gun-play goof in theparking lot, some conversations between Will and Tony, and a dinnerscene with Will, Olivia and her son. I know this film is categorized asa really emotional drama, but it really isn't (at least not to me). Itwas pretty decent but not that great. The ending also ruined it for me.I would have rated it higher, but I was disappointed by its ending- itseemed a little rushed to me.

razmatazern

07 May 2012

The Messenger sticks with you

I'm normally pretty hesitant about watching movies that have to do withwar, but I'm glad that I chose to watch The Messenger. The movie took acompletely different stance than what I'm used to when watching a movieabout war. I never really thought about the people that had to deliverthe message about a loved one that died in the military, and the waythe story is told made me really care for the characters and feel forHarrelson's and Foster's characters and the important job that theyhave to perform. I would never want to have to do their job, but Itruly respect the people that have to perform that job on a dailybasis. Harrelson, Foster and Samantha Morton put on really powerfulperformances that I honestly believed. And the rest of the cast did afine job, as well. The emotion was so intense that I could feel it, andI easily got sucked into the story. It was a powerful movie that reallymade me think about the hardships in a sincere and thoughtful way.Overall, I enjoyed the film and I will continue recommending it to allmy friends because I think everybody should watch it at least once. Thestory sticks with you long after you finish watching the movie.

guythechef

07 May 2012

Welcome back, Woody.

Imagine this: You're an Iraq war veteran whose day job is to informfamily members of the death of their loved ones. Fortunately, you don'thave to think too hard about this one. Instead, Oren Moverman'semotional masterpiece The Messenger offers a fictional portrayal of menin uniform whose job is to heal other people's emotional wounds afterdealing with the death of a loved one, despite the fact thesedo-gooders have yet to figure out how to heal their own demons. ThisAcademy Award-nominated film features noteworthy names such as WoodyHarrelson and Steve Buscemi, among other rising stars you won't want tomiss. It's a breath of fresh air to see Woody Harrelson in a role suchas this one.

chicagopoetry

04 May 2012

Not Quite Hurt Locker, But Close

The premise of this drama slash near tear jerker is that a guy in thearmy with three months left to serve gets assigned to the nasty task ofhaving to be the one who goes around informing parents that their sonsand daughters have died in the war in Iraq. And he has to do it withveteran bad news messenger Woody Harrelson. Good premise.Unfortunately, unlike Hurt Locker, which also concentrated on amilitary job, the job itself is unfortunately sort of abandoned midwaythrough the movie and more concentration is given to a go nowherepotential love affair and a long alcoholic night of debauchery thatslightly reminds of The Last Detail but that doesn't deliver as muchtension. Scenes go on way too long and nothing much happens at all inThe Messenger, but nevertheless, somehow, a poignant and interestingfilm prevails. Look for drama, not action, in this war movie.

Serkan Okar

04 May 2012

Emotionally intense about destruction of war

The Messenger is an emotionally intense movie. It shows the destructionof war extends far beyond the battlefield and hits the families athome. Staff Sergeant Will (Ben Foster) and Captain Tony (WoodyHarrelson) team up as Casualty Notification Officers. CasualtyNotifications Officers notify the next of kin on the death of theirrelative. When they hear the news, families are destroyed.The first and second acts of the movie feel a little repetitive as theygo from one family to the other and repeat the same generic script toeach family. Each scenes is well-done and the acting is great. Thedynamics between Will and Tony is also well-contrasted. Tony is asoldier who mechanically follows the procedure without getting hisemotions involved in the case whereas his younger partner Will is newon the duty and displays emotions.Overall, I thought this was a decent movie with great acting. Thethird/final act may leave you a little dissatisfied as it doesn't havea climax. The story is plain simple. Since there is no conflicts, thereis no climax either. I think it may have worked better if there were aconflict between the two main characters which would be brought to aresolution. Or if there were flashbacks to what they experienced duringthe war, the actions scenes could add some depth to the story. But thenagain, this is a low-budget movie that draws its tone from actingalone.

01 May 2012

A Small Heartbreak of a Film

War films usually concentrate on the exploits of the war hero, charging into battle, guns ablaze, mowing down enemies without so much as a care in the world, and come out with nary a band-aid on their forehead. Occasionally, the best friend dies, in order to get the hero back on track and advance the plot. One never thinks of the people at home, waiting for the best friend to return. And one certainly never thinks of the people who have to notify those loved ones. This film centers on two such soldiers, who live to bring news and grief, as they deal with their own grief, in this quiet film "The Messenger".Woody Harrelson turns in another award worthy performance as Captain Tony Stone, who teams up with just out of combat Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) to deliver news of combat deaths. Foster is dealing with an severe eye injury and an injury of the soul as he learns the details of this terrible job. On the heels of an unrequited love, Montgomery struggles with the tenets of the job as the two become a harbinger of death to those they meet. One particular widow strikes Mongomery's fancy, Olivia, who deals with the death of her husband as well as the growing attraction to the soldier who told her of it. The dichotomy between the two is delicious.Yet, the film rests squarely on the shoulders of Harrelson and Foster, and together, the two make an intimidating and formidable pair. When either is alone, the film loses a bit of its luster, and you long for the two anti-heroes to come back together again. Kudos must be given to all of the actors who performed those loved ones receiving the news. There isn't a dishonest one in the bunch, starting with a small cameo by Steve Buscemi as an angry, irate father.This isn't an easy film to watch. War isn't ever easy, and so it follows that the aftermath of it is even less so. This film celebrates all of that messiness, and honor, and valor, and realism with a honesty that is not often seen in movies now.

paul david

01 May 2012

American obsession with War trauma and Iraq but good movie

Maybe its me or I am just getting tired of all these movies coming outfocusing on Americas war involvement and the consequences of it. we hadthat tommy Lee Jones movie and his missing movie and in this Oscar runThe Hurt Locker (which is streets ahead of this movie in terms ofentertainment and quality).The acting is on a par but the story is not and I find the Tony Stonecharacter somewhat tiresome and tedious. Ben Foster acts extremely wellbut overall he is placid except for the little outburst at hisex-girlfriends engagement party.After the first couple of home visits, I feel the film runs out ofsteam and we are distracted by Ben Fosters surprise and curiousattraction to one of the widows to whom he has recently brought the badnews.I can see why Americans have nominated it for awards but the rest ofthe world will not be so interested, unlike Hurt Locker, which has amore objective message.Wont stay in the memory bank for long and Ben Foster will act betterand get a more challenging role I hope.

28 April 2012

Second worst job in the army

This movie explores the second worst job in the army (of course fighting is the first), which is to give the news and condolences to the family of the dead soldier.Quite original story. In war movies we always see quick scenes of 2 soldiers visiting homes of the deceased soldier, but we never know what they actually go through while doing their job. It's not easy for sure!

27 April 2012

An amazing work of subtle and poignant art

Oren Moverman makes a strong directorial debut after having quite a bit of success as a screenwriter. Here, he relies heavily on his strength for story, yet still finds powerful sequences of visual beauty. Ben Foster plays Will Montgomery, an injured soldier, hardened by war, forced to work alongside a Gulf War Vet. Together they travel through New Jersey informing family members that their son, daughter, husband or wife has died in combat. Montgomery fights this position that requires such human contact, but soon finds kinship with a young mother whose soldier husband has just died. Moverman echoes back to the films of Hal Ashby and Robert Altman in several sequences, using long takes and a constantly probing camera lens. Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton all give very strong performances in their respected roles. The weakness, if the only one, comes in Jena Malone's performance. Her development is weak and, worse of all, she never fully commits to the words or moments being experienced by her character. This drags the pacing of the story, but only for the few scenes that include her. Her character requires very little screen time, but this only further pushes the need for a stronger development, yet she fails. However, Foster, Harrelson, Morton and Moverman all succeed in accomplishing something truly honest and sincere in every moment the audience gets to experience with them. This is easily one of the finest films of the year. A true work of art that was grossly overlooked by the Academy.