Review of The Messenger (2009) by Jim H — 28 Jun 2011

A Iraq War veteran works as a fatality notification officer under the tutelage of an equally damaged officer.

The highlights of this film are the performances by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson who both deliver strong, understated characters who are both deeply hurting and emotionally reserved. Though the penultimate, tearful breakdown by Harrelson is Oscar bait (he did receive a well-deserved nomination), the moments when they are delivering bad news to families are captivating if you watch the lines on their faces tense under their own restraint. Foster in particular is able to convey an entire story with a single look.

The problems with the film are structural. It is too late in the first act before Montgomery deviates from the ethical boundaries Stone has carefully constructed. I spent the first forty-five or so minutes thinking, "This is a dramatically ripe situation, but not much is happening in the story." Then, the film tries to start a plot about an affair between Montgomery and the widow of a dead soldier, which might have worked had it been used as a catalyst for the main action. However, it comes too late, and I was never sure what the attraction is based on. Are these two damaged souls who find each other? Is his love an extension of his need to comfort? Instead of answers to these questions, what emerges is a sexual attraction that both are seemingly unable to resist, which seems weak considering the possibilities.

Overall, this is a good "actor's film," but the story suffers too much to be all that it can be.