Review of The Messenger (2009) by Rob L — 25 Jul 2012

An excellent film that could have been a 5 star masterpiece were it not for the slightly iffy sub-Jackass antics that Foster and Harrelson indulge in for a single weekend three quarters of the way through the film. Samantha Morton is as superb as ever as a war widow with ambiguous feelings and the film''s portrait of suburban New Jersey is a brilliant counterpoint to the grim realities of the Iraqi front.

The premise - that the main characters are charged with the job of informing the bereaved of the deaths of their loved ones - makes for a movie with immense subtlety of feeling. Both Foster and Harrelson are convincing in their roles and this all earmarks Moverman as a Director to watch out for.