Visitors Review

secondtake (2012-05-26 07:43)

Strong, necessary, well acted, but with a single theme to work with

The Messenger (2009)This isn't at all about great movie-making, but about a great idea withtwo knockout performances. To see grief this way, almost first hand,and to see how these two soldiers deal with it and are personallytormented by it, is eyeopening. Whatever your view of war, or of theIraq/Afghan wars, this is one part of the reality. To avoid it is to bewillfully blindsided.But that's it. That's a lot, but that's it. There is the buddy filmaspects of the two men (which wears thin, too, fighting drinking, goingfishing) and there is something like a love affair at work (which comeswith too much foreshadowing), but none of this human element reallyworks on its own. It just supports the whole.It's a sharp, moving movie. It'll make you cry more than once, if youfeel for the actors. And it'll remind you of something we all needreminding of with this much force.

(2012-05-25 14:00)

A beautifully crafted film anchored by stellar performances.

Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, just back from Iraq, is a decorated war hero, wounded, with only three months left. He gets assigned to deliver death notifications, under the supervision of Captain Tony Stone, a man hardened by what he has (and hasn't) seen. When Will begins to fall for a woman whose husband has just died, he becomes a conflicted man, with his loyalties shifting between morality, the Army, and the urges of his own heart.THE MESSENGER is a beautiful film. The two lead performances are outstanding; Ben Foster has proven again and again that he is one of the best actors on the scene right now, even in films as ho-hum as the third X-MEN and PANDORUM. It's nice to see him in a good film again, a film that's up to the standards of his talent. Alongside him is Woody Harrelson, an actor finding a well-deserved resurgence lately (from blockbusters such as 2012 to indie flicks like DEFENDOR). Harrelson and Foster carry the film; they're working with a marvelous script, and some superb direction, but this is their film through-and-through. They command every scene, as their characters get to know each other, and come to a greater understanding of what it means to be human. Surrounding them are a stellar bunch of supporting actors (most notably Samantha Morton as Will's new flame, and Steve Buscemi as a bereaved and violent father). Even the minor roles are filled with fine actors; certain scenes are genuinely gut-wrenching. This film is, at times, an uncomfortable viewing experience.I suppose, on some level, THE MESSENGER is an anti-war film. But it doesn't have an agenda. It has a heart; it has a sense of humanity. It is about two men doing one of the worst jobs imaginable, and how they cope in their respective ways. This isn't a film for everyone; it's slow-burning and rather ambiguous. If heart-wrenching, intelligent dramas aren't your thing, pass this one by. However, if you appreciate films that are deep and powerful, anchored in reality, then you could do far worse than THE MESSENGER. (Also, the DVD/Blu-ray features a documentary about actual members of the Casualty Notification Team, which is almost as interesting as the movie itself.)

(2012-05-25 00:55)

It was okay

Back from the war in Iraq, Sgt Montgomery (Foster) is assigned to CaptStone (Harrelson) on the Casualty Notification Team that notifiesfamilies of their fallen loved ones. Before I put the DVD into the player, I thought this might rival TakingChance, but that thought only lasted less than a New York Minute. Themovie opened with a sex scene that bordered on being X-rated. We see the Sgt and the Capt notify the families and that part was kindof stilted and wooden, but we have to accept that is the way it isdone. I assume this was researched. Of course, from the familiesperspective the notifications are quite emotional. Each soldier has baggage and this brings into question why they arechosen to be on the Casualty Notification Team in the first place. Theydo a good job even though each has a different view of how certainthings should be done. And, yes, they do get into it about that. Once we get through the notifications, the movie settles into thepersonal life of Sgt Montgomery who falls for a widow of one of thefallen and we are not sure where all this is going, but here the moviebegins to drag and we feel uncomfortable. In the beginning of themovie, Capt Stone asks Sgt Montgomery if he is a basket case. The Sgtsays no, but we are not so sure and keep an eye on him. There were too many moments where the action lingered and no one wassure what to say or do next (may be a director's trick, but I don'tcare for it). Again, the uncomfortable feelings come back. Once the movie leaves the notifications, it loses that impact and thereis a tendency to forget what this started out being. This starts out asone thing and then becomes another. Now, we are concerned about twosoldiers who have been abandoned or rejected in life and need to findthemselves and each one becomes another kind of Messenger for theother. This was not as important as advertised, but it was okay. If it wasn'tfor Harrelson , I would have shut this down in a NY Minute. He issimply amazing, and always delivers an Oscar worthy performance. Violence: Yes. Sex: Yes, the opening scene Nudity: Yes, the openingscene and later on too Language: Yes.

pwbryan52 (2012-05-24 03:35)

What it is to be human...

The Messenger is one of the most simple and truthful films I've everseen. (I have seen thousands and have a degree in film from N.Y.U.) Itseems it is going uncelebrated because of the content and subjectmatter. It deals with simple truthful human circumstances we would notlike to deal with. I am glad those who were involved in this film werecourageous enough to make it and to make it so well. It is one of thebetter and most beautiful documents of much of what it is to be human.Each character is fully realized without the slightest bit offalsehood. It is a great and noble story and presented unvarnished. Iwould not suggest it for children, young people, absolutely, adultswithout fail.

NewSkol (2012-05-22 14:12)

An often overlooked movie that you will remember...

With the amount of highly popular and good movies that came out in2009, this one, it seems, got lost. Which is unfair, as this is abrilliant movie, deserving a lot more Oscar nominations and wins.Especially when it comes to the superb acting and a very powerfuldirecting.In fact, I can not even compare it to the more popular and Oscarcrushing movie - The Hurt Locker. In my opinion, the two do not evenstand close. In the Hurt Locker, I felt like taking a nap somewhere inthe middle, this movie on the other hand kept me hooked and I could notstop thinking about it for days after I saw it. It is beyond mycomprehension why this movies is so underrated, except for maybebrilliant marketing and high budgets of other movies of 2009.Despite this fact, the team behind this movie has managed to createsomething truly real. The characters are fully developed and the actingis amazing. This movie touches you one a very real level, you feel aconnection, you understand what the characters are trying to tell you.This is not some made-up story to get Oscars or a movie made simply forthe money, it is something more. Something which is often missing inmovies of our time, its hard to think of a word to describe it, but inlack of a better term I am going to say its got a soul.It would be interesting to see what people of this profession thinkabout the movie, and war veterans in general. In any case, this afantastic movie to see, think about and remember.

(2012-05-22 01:27)

Foster and Harrelson are outstanding, but the extra documentary Notification is the highlight here

4.2 starsWith a subject as emotionally loaded as this, it feels like the filmmakers almost just need to stay out of the way and let the inherent intensity come through. And when that's done here, the movie is excellent. Harrelson and Foster are both very good, and their relationship builds well; the last twenty minutes here are outstanding in many ways.But there are a few rather disjointed moments on the way there, which is unfortunate, as what's good here is very good. Foster's budding semi-romance, which is touted in the ads and on the blu-ray box, is tertiary to the story at best, it seemed, and never began to touch me in the way that some of the other scenes did. But I guess there's always got to be a love interest to get Hollywood to make a movie.It would have been nice if the film just focused on the terrible nature of the job, on both sides of the message. Those are the moments with serious power here and they are done well. If that and the two leads' bond were explored more in depth, I think this would have been one of the best movies I've seen in years. It's still very good, but I felt like it could have been even better. All the actors are solid, and the direction is good, but the script wanders here and there when it might have been more pointed and powerful. That's brought home strongly by the short documentary included on the blu-ray, called Notification. As good as this movie is, that doc hit me far harder. It's worth getting this disc for by itself; together with the movie, it's a very fine package. The BD transfer is excellent, btw, very crisp and clear.All in all, The Messenger is well worth watching, and its own various quiet messages are worth considering. It even fits in some subtle shots at the fact that perhaps there would be no need for any messengers at all if we'd keep out of the rest of the world's business. There are no doubt many childless parents out there who would be glad to get a chance to talk about that on film, but it seems unlikely we'll be seeing that movie any time soon. Nonethless, the scene here in the shopping mall is excellent, as is the perfect bit where Foster explains how he's no hero. Those two scenes add a much deeper resonance to this film, and let's face it: how can you talk about this subject without addressing the question of what these soldiers are dying for? Those two scenes are perhaps the touchstones of The Messenger, and meant to be pondered long after the film is over.And I almost forgot Woody's great little speech about how every soldier's funeral should be on tv. What a great idea, but of course, as with our not being allowed to even see coffins coming home from Iraq, we can't have people thinking too much about all that. At least this film is here to encourage Americans to consider the real cost of war to so many mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and children. It says everything about who controls what that the Hurt Locker won Best Picture while The Messneger was almost forgotten at the last Oscars. This is a much better movie, but its message is not exactly one that will make the Pentagon's budget bigger.Make sure to watch the documentary here; it's something very special. The Messenger is good, but Notification is even better.

Lawson (2012-05-16 07:42)

A story that needed to be told

Here's a story that needed to be told. So many movies have been madeabout the troops at the front line, but not enough have been done aboutthe courage of those back home like these "messengers" - the army menwho deliver the news of the fatalities of war to their family members. The movie is often as depressing as it sounds, with many heartbreakingscenes of bereaved family members reacting terribly to the bad news andlashing out vocally and physically. But oddly enough, I preferred thosescenes to the ones of Ben Foster's life. His scenes with WoodyHarrelson were appropriate - they demonstrated the contrast of copingas one who's new to the job and one who's inured to it (or so hethought). However, the scenes about Foster's life - about his PTSD andthe ill-advised yet therapeutic fling with a new widow - felt like itdetracted from the point of the movie, which was to highlight the toughjobs of these servicemen. However it's still an engrossing movie with good performances allaround. Ben Foster's on his way to an eventual Oscar nomination. WoodyHarrelson... I'm not as much a fan. He's good with the serious scenes,but with some of the lighter scenes, I find that there's a incongruoustongue-in-cheekness in his performance that was better suited with hisrecent Zombieland role.

(2012-05-15 16:16)

Beautifully Written Screenplay

I absolutely loved this film. It was so well acted and written that by the half way mark I realized I was watching something extra special. Unlike most American films, the scenes depicted were so heartfelt and unpredictable, it had a foreign film quality to it.

Turfseer (2012-05-14 17:37)

Contrived tale of Army Casualty Notification Unit

The job of notifying next of kin by the Army Casualty Notification Unitis an extremely sensitive one. Such a job is not entrusted to justanyone in the military—you have to undergo significant training beforeyou're assigned to such a specialized unit. That's why it's hard tobelieve that Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) would bethrust into the job when he only has three months of enlistment timeleft. What's more, would the Sergeant have been chosen since he's onlyrecently come back from Iraq and may have been traumatized there? Asfor his training, his commanding officer, Captain Tony Stone (WoodyHarrelson), merely throws a training manual in his lap and expects himto 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 morecompelling and believable than those who don't. In general, characterswho don't like themselves are dull and rarely add to the dramatic flowof the narrative (can you imagine a sad-sack Tony Soprano evercapturing the public's imagination?). The strategy of the Messenger'sscenarists is to start us off with the two angst-ridden soldiers,Montgomery and Stone, and eventually show how they redeem themselves byovercoming their depressing background and circumstances.Montgomery is basically a putz who can't accept the fact that hisformer girlfriend has dumped him and is now engaged to someone else(how many sad-sack soldiers do you know who would actually show up atan ex-girlfriend's wedding intoxicated and wearing unwashed militaryfatigues?). The implication of course is that somehow, due to beingtraumatized in Iraq, he would end up acting that way. The contrivedwedding scene is designed to show Montgomery at his lowest moment—afteracting in such a boorish manner, he can now redeem himself by lending ahelping hand to Olivia (Samantha Morton), the widow who he recentlynotified 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 manifestedin his constant skirt-chasing and avoidance of any meaningfulrelationships with women. The basic question arises: would the Militaryactually have put someone like Captain Stone in charge of an armyCasualty Notification Unit (i.e. someone so broken and negative?). Iwould suggest that such a negative character is a complete exaggerationanyway, designed merely to create dramatic scenarios where none wouldexist truly in reality. But even if such a character existed, he wouldprobably be the last chosen by the military to head a CasualtyNotification Unit.It takes a good deal of time before the central conflict comes to ahead between Stone and Montgomery. And that is basically Montgomerybelieves in being a little more sensitive when notifying the next ofkin as opposed to Stone who wants to follow 'procedures'. That's aboutthe essence of the conflict between the two principals and when theyfinally confront each other, it's not much of a payoff. The sub-plotinvolves Montgomery trying to start things up with Olivia—his decisionto 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 attaineda measure of redemption.The Messenger also consists of various scenes in which the next of kinare notified of the deaths of their loved one's. Given the variety ofthe people we meet, it's probably the most interesting aspect of thefilm. Steve Buscemi's performance is probably the most notable (forbetter or worse) of these characters, where he strikes Montgomery afterbeing notified about the death of his son, and later offers a ratherpredictable apology.I've read that the men and women who perform the job of the CasualtyNotification Units are dedicated, trained professionals who by thenature of their employment, must set an example by living lives ofgreat integrity (unlike the two troubled malcontents in 'TheMessenger'). The contrived characters of 'The Messenger' do nothing toenhance the reputation of these specialized units; rather, theiropposition feels artificial, contrived, all part of a plot artificethat calls for the type of conflict one might expect to see in themovies 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 couldnot believe I was watching a story about real people.

froggy (2012-05-14 01:20)

good movie

Don't really know anything about Ben Foster until this movie, his role as Will is pretty intriguing. Dealing with the aftermath of the battles is another interest aspect of the war. Like this movie a lot and I would definitely recommend this movie to my friends to see it.

(2012-05-12 05:32)

The Messenger

This review is from: The Messenger (DVD) This is a great movie about a relevant part of the current "conflict" and its unsung heroes - the people who have to deliver death notification to NOK. This military duty wasn't around prior to Viet Nam and I believe it's even changed since first incorporated. It shows Death of a Hero from both sides, the next of kin who receive the message and the people who are assigned to deliver that message. I thought Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson had good roles, played them well - as I've never seen either as these types of people. I always like a movie that includes the back-story of each character so you can better understand why they've become the type of person they are.

(2012-05-11 14:29)

Still prefer Taking Chance

The Casualty Notification Service of the US Army is entrusted with possibly the hardest job of all, informing the relatives of fallen soldiers of their demise.A Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) who has returned from Iraq is paired with Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to work for the casualty notification service. The duo's journey as they travel delivering the bad news forms the crux of the film. The situations are typical the senior, rookie conflicts over the methods of doing the job, their personality clashes but these two actors share such fantastic chemistry that the predictable becomes interesting. This journey is interspersed between these situations and their delivering the bad news. I thought this was not a bad movie, the love angle seemed pretty real as well but I have seen a movie about the casualty notification service called `Taking Chance' which was a far superior film for me. On the whole, it is a great film about our great troops and the sacrifice they make and the hardships their families suffer. Like the war or not, we must support the troops. Three stars. 1/17/10

agustin (2012-05-08 22:01)

The Message is Sent

It might be like 20th movie this decade to come forth from the problematic war in Iraq, but even as it is around the subject of such a recent war, it pulls away from the fire and plays out on its own terms. Officer Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is re-assigned to serve the remainder of his time in the military as the army's Casualty Notification Officer. His mentor Anthony is a bitter and cold individual that shows him the ropes. Along the way, Will struggles with his own existence as he breaks the terrible news to complete strangers of their loved one's death. This is a gutwrenching movie that is tough as nails, but tender with genuine sentiment that you fight for in watching the movie to earn those moments. I love that it isn't a classic black and white movie; there are many shades of gray in between. I never liked a straight forward movie with a stripped down set of characters as "plain as Jane," sort of speak, to toil with. This movie delevers and indeed, the message is sent.

pc95 (2012-05-08 17:02)

Good Acting/ Contrived Situations

"The Messenger" has some good things going for it, namely somebelievable and competent performances from the leads, Foster andHarrelson. The first third of the movie has little taking place. Ittakes the movie almost half it's running time to move a semblance of astory. But before that, one scene singlehandedly pretty much destroysthe movie: (spoiler) that being the one involved with the SteveBuschemi character - the father who throws an utterly concocted andcontrived tantrum. For a movie that's trying to play itself off asrealistic this scene is so contrived and far-fetched thrown in yourface that it renders the movie garbage. My wife and I both had the samereaction - "this is ridiculous and stupid", and what was the directorthinking. The rest of the movie seems to be about coping, but thestench of that scene overwhelms. After what I had heard as acclaim, themovie sorely disappoints.

khan2705 (2012-05-07 02:45)

outstanding.

An Iraq War veteran who just narrowly escaped death in combat struggleswith his new post at the Casualty Notification Office whileanticipating his upcoming discharge in this military drama starring BenFoster, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, and Samantha Morton. WillMontgomery (Foster) has spent his fair share of time in army hospitals,and with just three months to go before returning to civilian life, hediscovers that his girlfriend back home (Malone) has decided to move onwith her life. Crestfallen, Will discovers that his latest hope for afresh start will be training to work for the Casualty NotificationOffice under the mentorship of senior officer Tony (Harrelson). Assomeone who had a close brush with death himself, Will isn't sure thathe's the man to tell families that their own loved ones will never becoming home. Thankfully, in between his assignments, Tony offers asympathetic ear and the two men form a bond that will ultimately helpthem to readjust to "normal" life. But once you've been in the thick ofit, any true hope for a "normal" life after the military is justwishful thinking. Later, Will is drawn to the grieving widow (Morton)of a fallen soldier, a development that forces him to ponder theethical dilemma of starting a relationship with a woman in such avulnerable position.Starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone,Steve Buscemi , Eamonn Walker.Directed by Oren Moverman, this is his directorial debut.Nominated for 2 Oscars, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role WoodyHarrelson and Original Screenplay. it also got some great Berlin FilmFestival and Independent Spirit Awards recognition.wow what a great drama it was, i was avoiding it from many months. isaw it last night on TV and was surprised by how good and how welleverything in it is being portrayed. its about these Soldiers returnedfrom war and they have been given job of informing the families ofkilled soldiers in the war. while they have their own problems andgriefs and things to worry about and then the war. they both kind ofbond together to kind of readjust to the life and feel normal. theyface some strong reactions from the families and Will starts startsinvolving in the life of Olivia, whose Husband dies in the war, it doesbecome a ethical dilemma because of her current situation but it ismore than that.Ben Foster gave a good performance and quite accurate one too whichwill definitely remain as his best. Woody Harrelson gave a great heartbreaking and emotionally heartfelt performance, two thumbs up. i wasreally impressed. he is a great actor and he proves it always. othersupporting performances were good too. like Samantha Morton and SteveBuscemi and those actors playing the families of the died ones.direction was great, Oren did a fantastic job and was a achievement.Screenplay was excellent. great story and everything. it is a small offbeat indie movie that will just move your heart. there are many scenesin the movie that are just pure emotional and dramatic. i loved thismovie. a gem it is.

3xHCCH (2012-05-06 15:23)

Topic is Very Rich in Drama, but Execution is Too Turgid

I watched this movie because of all the awards buzz it has gainedrecently. This includes a Best Supporting Actor nod for Woody Harrelsonin one of year end critics awards.The title refers to the thankless duty of notifying next of kin aboutthe death of their loved ones in the War. That is the assignment givento Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) when he had to come from the wardue to an eye injury during an explosion. We worked under the"mentor-ship" of seemingly no-nonsense Captain Tony Stone (WoodyHarrelson).Once this premise had been established, you knew that the situationsthey would face would be richly infused with human drama, and theyindeed were. To make things more interesting, Sgt. Will also had toface the problem of his girlfriend getting engaged to someone else, andthe dilemma of getting involved with a widow to whom he delivered badnews of her husband's death. We also get to see what actuallytranspires tragically behind Capt. Stone's cold facade.The screenplay effectively and interestingly mines all possible areasof personal conflict regarding the war situation at home. I'm going outon a limb to comment that there was a problem in the direction bynewcomer Oren Moverman. The treatment was too turgid and slow. Theactors, while very good in internalizing their roles, had that creepyvibe that makes empathizing with them difficult for me. While maybethat is what the director aims to achieve, this undignified portrayalof Will and Stone as private individuals detracts from my appreciationof this film as a whole.

Ruby Liang (2012-05-05 14:52)

Earnest, thoughtful tribute to our troops: 'The Messenger' courageously reinforces hopeful life after combat, in spite of insurmountable hurdles and grief.

Writer-director Oren Moverman, with co-writer & producer AlessandroCamon's "The Messenger" is in my top ten 2009 films. It warrants equalviewing and attention as Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal's "The HurtLocker" - the other courageous, earnest & thoughtful film with warpremise. Both pay tribute to our troops. "The Hurt Locker" is visuallyexplosive, "The Messenger" is, you might say, quietly 'explosive' fromwithin. How can it not be: the role and responsibilities of a military'casualty notification officer' must be one of the hardest job onearth. It's sobering and quickly builds character - to regainhopefulness to 'life goes on', it begs cultivation of warm humanconnections and sharing of lovingness to counter the unspeakablelooming grief. Director Moverman co-wrote the script from his ownmilitary experiences without "Hollywood" (overly dramatic) sentiments.The film rings true and worthily embraced by our soldiers.The Messenger is Ben Foster, who thoroughly inhabits Staff Sgt. WillMontgomery. Definitely a strong and nuance performance that merits aMUST-SEE (best actor nominations or not - Ben Foster indisputably gavehis ever-intense yet quietly powerful, sensitive delivery of anotherwell-researched role to-date). Of course, with Samantha Morton andWoody Harrelson in supporting roles to match and fuel the tension andemotional 'explosions' - silently appealing in the former as widowOlivia Pitterson and somberly exhilarating with touches of humor in thelatter as Captain Tony Stone. Both Morton and Harrelson deservinglyreceived best supporting nominations, as well as for best screenplayand best first feature recognition by 2010 Independent Spirit Awards.Talented Jena Malone is in a small but important role as Will's girlfriend Kelly (maturing before our eyes, a bold nudity segment includedon screen)."The Messenger" is hard medicine, no maybe or but about the subject of'casualty notification', military or not. Life does go on as we come toaccept 'death' being a part of life's cycle as 'birth' - humanconnections can bridge the gap and fill the void. This essentialhopefulness towards the surviving family members, fellow soldiers,friends and partners is the driving force - strengthened in thisearnest and thoughtful tribute of a film to our troops, and humanity &life in broader context.Kudos to Oscilloscope Pictures and the producers for standing by thevision of releasing this film. Moverman's skillful direction of hisscript with Camon, and the gifted ensemble cast of Foster, Harrelsonand Morton with Malone, is simply fortunate for us, film lovers andAmericans - spot the American flag included in the film title logo:representing the first 'E' in " MESSENGER". God bless our troops andeveryone. See it and you'll appreciate "The Messenger." Note: For in-depth production notes, Press Packet is accessible under"Acclaim" section, at the official site "themessengermovie.com".

gradyharp (2012-05-05 07:27)

War and Afterburn

THE MESSENGER, even from the 'impersonal' title choice, places thecomplete picture of the emotional devastation that wars create. Thehorrors and psychological destruction that occur on the battlefield andin the trenches awaiting encounter are only one aspect of the insanityof war. The afterburn - the effects on returning soldiers permanentlydamaged by the experience as well as the effects on families and lovedones who have wither been completely killed in action or simply damagedat time beyond repair - is the subject of this powerful film THEMESSENGER written (with Alessandro Camon) and directed by OrenMoverman. It follows the lives and post engagement assignments of twomen fulfilling their obligations to the government by taking the rolesof notifying the next of kin at the earliest possible hour after thedeath of a soldier is verified. The 'all business' Col. Stuart Dorsett (a powerful portrayal by EamonnWalker) in forms the newly returned home Staff Sargeant Will Montgomery(Ben Foster, in one of his most sensitive roles of his career) thatdespite his physical traumas he is nursing he has been assigned aCasualty Notification Officer and will be taught the ropes byex-alcoholic Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harelson, a finely nuanced andcontrolled performance). The two bond, share past experiences (Will hasjust been ditched by his girl Kelly - Jena Malone, etc) and begin thelearning process of notifying the next of kin. What follows is thespectrum of anguish and crushing agony played by actors Steve Buscemi,Yaya DaCosta, Portia, Lisa Joyce, et al and the effect of theencounters is blisteringly brutal. The Will and Tony deliver the newsto on Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton) whose failing marriage to hernow deceased husband makes her reception of the news outlined withdignity. This incident makes a deep impression on Will and arelationship develops between these two needy people, one that iscompletely forbidden by military code. How Will and Tony deal with thismiserable job and how it affects both of them is the run of the film. The film is tough to watch, so gut-wrenching is the subject matter, yetdirector Oren Moverman guides the film with restraint, ably assisted bythe actors whose performances are all of outstanding quality, and this'quiet' manner in which he unravels this story makes it just that muchmore tough to digest. If more people would watch this film hopefullythere would be more attention paid to the madness of war. It is animportant lesson, perfectly delivered. Grady Harp

brocksilvey (2012-05-05 04:47)

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

(2012-05-05 01:24)

Worthy of Serious Viewers

I take with great seriousness some of the critical reviews, but on balance have to come down in favor of five stars and an enthusiastic recommendation of this movie and its actors. While I know little of current military casualty notification procedures, over-all this movie resonates with my own past as a Marine Corps infantry officer (40 years ago) and I found several things compelling:1) America does not see enough of the down side of war. From 935 documented lies by the Bush-Cheney Administration to stark ignorance and corruption as the Obama-Biden Administration sells out to the military-intelligence-industrial pork complex, to the absolute and utterly immoral concealment from the public of the actual number of amputees including many many multiple amputees and the rising number of suicides, I find the disconnect between the public and reality to be catastrophic.2) For me, these two characters are portrayed superbly, in detail. In my own life as a former spy we were obscenely proud of having the highest rates of alcoholism, adultery, divorce, and suicide in the US Government, and I have 19 professional suicides and 1 personal suicide in my life to date. The depth of the pain felt by those who survive was well-portrayed here.3) The humanity of the protagonist and of the surviving widow, and the nuances of how that developed, were fully developed and expertly acted. This movie held my attention in detail for the duration.With a tip of the hat to Richard (first comment, recommend reading), here is a tight recommendation that comes closer than my own:Taking ChanceSee also:We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)Gardens of StoneHamburger HillApocalypse NowLord of War (Widescreen)