Review of The Messenger (2009) by Steph O — 21 Nov 2010

I've always thought Ben Foster is amazing, but this is the performance of his career for sure. Well, his career so far. "The Messenger" tells the story of a young Army officer named Will (Foster) who gets assigned to the Casualty Notification service. Along with a fellow Army officer experienced in casualty notification (Woody Harrelson), Will must deliver crushing news to families over and over again, while following procedure and trying not to break down with all the grief he witnesses.

It's a powerful movie about a really heartbreaking situation, but "The Messenger" is never completely depressing. It is brilliantly acted, and surprisingly sweet at times. While the movie does focus on the trying friendship between Will and Tony (Harrelson), there is also the issue of Will becoming emotionally attached to the widow of a fallen soldier. A widow whom Will and Tony informed about her husband's death. Nothing about "The Messenger" is cliche, or boring, or sappy - it's just a great drama, and officially my favourite movie concerning the war in Iraq.