Review of The Messenger (2009) by Filipeneto — 23 Aug 2021

This is one of those movies that makes us think. Not only does it address an indigestible topic – as hard to swallow as what these soldiers do – but it also makes us wonder if there really is a purpose, a reason for the sacrifice of so many young people who die in war. In fact, war is abominable, only those who have never been there are able to like it. I have never been, but my father fought in the wars that Portugal had in Africa, protecting the lives of civilians who had nothing to do with the political situation lived then. It wasn't a pretty war, but there are no pretty wars. What happened until very recently in Afghanistan and Iraq was also ugly and should have been avoided. Even so, the availability, courage and sense of duty of the young people who, when their country blows the horn, present themselves to serve their flag, is praiseworthy. But let's go to the movie.

The film revolves around a soldier who, after having fought for the country, returns home to complete the last three months of military service in peace. He is then appointed to support an older officer in the difficult task of going to the homes of relatives of other military personnel to break the news of their death. There is a manual and rules to respect, such as talking only to the next of kin and never touching or feeling emotional, but it's a difficult thing to do on a mission that is so thankless: they are insulted, sometimes assaulted, and they see, firsthand, the pain of the loss of those men. When things turn out to be more difficult and exhausting than one might think, the two men try to decompress, so they don't break: they drink, listen to music too loud, pound walls, engage in ephemeral relationships...

The cast has two excellent actors, who share the lead and collaborate very well together: Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. The two actors were excellent, and it's hard to even say if one of them was better, because they both worked in a totally symbiotic way. The truth, however, is that this movie has managed to be, for me, Harrelson's best work so far (at least of all those I've seen). Another excellent actor who appears and shines in this film is Steve Buscemi, playing the father of a deceased soldier. He brings us to one of the most poignant and tense scenes in the film. I didn't like Samantha Morton very much. The actress is good, but the character is uninteresting as ephemeral.

Directed by Oren Moverman, the film does not give us a definite script, but it does reveal a lot about the domestic human consequences of US wars abroad. Even if war is far away, it always affects whoever fights it, and the director was very adept at exploiting the public's sensitivity to such an issue. Technically, the film has good cinematography, good color and light, and is extremely realistic in the way it was shot and edited. It even looks like a documentary, in a sense, and that was certainly something the director wanted. Good use of backgrounds and credible costumes help to build this pleasing realism. With no annoying or raucous visuals and sound effects, the film leaves the stage free for what we're going to see, and even the soundtrack is not intrusive.