Review of The Messenger (2009) by Calandra R — 04 Jun 2010

I have to throw in a few messages on the drama "The Messenger". Writer-Director Oren Moverman's melancholic film does present more than just a few messages on the psychological trauma of warfare and on the intense wretchedness of Casualty Notification officers.

Ben Foster stars as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery. He is proclaimed a hero for saving the lives of several soldiers during an Iraq deployment; however, Will suffered leg & eye injuries for his bravery and is eventually sent back to the states.

The Army then assigns Montgomery as part of a Casualty Notification Team, but initially Will does not have the will to power up to that challenge. Woody Harrelson co-stars as Captain Tony Stone, who is Will's mentor & partner of the Casualty Notification Team.

During their first few days together on the job, Tony teaches Will the ropes of the CN but Will would rather stay home and watch CNN instead of delivering heart-wrenching news to family members of those killed on duty.

The boys do initially bump heads with their contradictory personalities, but eventually the predictable bromance does blossom between the two, army style. I do credit Moverman for making the right moves in directing the intense scenes of Tony and Will delivering the somber news to family members.

Though they were profoundly depressing, they were the most authentic scenes of the movie. I don't want to be a bearer of bad news, but I think Moverman stumbles a bit in the scenes of Will's lonesome despair and his semi-stalking of a recently deceased soldier's wife.

It was a bit too desolate & creepy for my taste, even with the theme of the narrative. Moverman's screenplay (deservingly nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar nomination) was poignant enough to spread the message in the Hollywood circles that the young Oren is a man on the move; upwards that is.

The best news worth delivering of "The Messenger" is about its exemplary acting ensemble. Ben Foster's tour-de-force performance as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery was emotionally commanding.

Cheers to Woody Harrelson for delivering the best performance of his well-respected career for his role as Captain Tony Stone. And is there a better actress working today than Samantha Morton? Maybe, but not too many.

She was stunning in her few scenes as Olivia Patterson, the recent widower who attracts the attention of Montgomery. The legendary character actor Steve Buscemi only shows up in a couple of scenes as a grieving father but his character's sentiment speaks volumes of The Messenger's focal message.

"The Messenger" is not one for the light hearted, but does merit a badge of courage for fixating on the heavy-hearted Casualty Notification officers. God Bless them all. **** Good.