The Messenger (2009) (R)
Directed by Oren Moverman
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
Daddy Says:
I like a good war movie as well as the next guy. I like the intensity, the thrill of combat, the adrenaline surge of not knowing if this could be your last moment, and I like it just fine from the comfort of my couch. I hope I never have to see it any closer than that. The Messenger has that same intensity, that same dread, that same adrenaline surge. It also doesn't have one single scene of combat, and it takes place at home in the States.
The Messenger is the story of a combat soldier (Ben Foster) sent home after a battle which injures him, but during which he heroically saves several of his fellow soldiers from certain death. With three months left on his rotation, he is assigned to serve as part of casualty notification, letting family members (NOKs (Next of Kin) is what they're referred to as) know that they're sons or husbands were killed in combat. He is partnered with a veteran at this (Woody Harrelson) who shows him the ropes and tells him the rules. These scenes are emotionally raw and heartbreaking.
The movie becomes a character study of two men, both veterans of different wars, both with different outlooks on how their job should be performed. Harrelson's character believes in following the rules, Foster feels they should treat these people as human beings with feelings that should be acknowledged. Woody Harrelson, in particular, does an incredible job here. He's always been good, but here he takes his character to another level.
The screenplay never steps wrong. A scene where Foster explains what happened on his last day in combat, and why he doesn't feel like a hero after the battle, is particularly vivid in its details. Without ever seeing it happen, I could visualize it so clearly just listening to him tell the story.
This is an emotional story, wonderfully told by writer/director Oren Moverman, that really brings home the life and death struggle that a battlefield soldier endures on a daily basis, without ever showing it to us and making it seem like it might be fun to watch.
Rating for The Messenger: ****1/2.
Daughter Says:
Once again I found another war movie I can appreciate. If I keep coming across all these good war films I might have to start claiming that I like this genre.
The Messenger definitely deserved the nomination for Best Original Screenplay in the Oscars. I think Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman did a brilliant job on the script. Not only did the writers do a great job but Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson did an amazing job at bringing these characters to life. I liked Woody Harrelson in Zombieland. He played a funny part and I was surprised to find him playing a serious role. Harrelson did a good job at it too.
Now to the downer of this film. I was enjoying The Messenger all the way through, until the end. I hated the end. It was unfair. If the movie doesn't have a point at the ending, there isn't a point to watching the movie. And this movie left me feeling the same disappointment. I was not a happy camper.
Rating for The Messenger: ***1/2.
Directed by Oren Moverman
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
Daddy Says:
I like a good war movie as well as the next guy. I like the intensity, the thrill of combat, the adrenaline surge of not knowing if this could be your last moment, and I like it just fine from the comfort of my couch. I hope I never have to see it any closer than that. The Messenger has that same intensity, that same dread, that same adrenaline surge. It also doesn't have one single scene of combat, and it takes place at home in the States.
The Messenger is the story of a combat soldier (Ben Foster) sent home after a battle which injures him, but during which he heroically saves several of his fellow soldiers from certain death. With three months left on his rotation, he is assigned to serve as part of casualty notification, letting family members (NOKs (Next of Kin) is what they're referred to as) know that they're sons or husbands were killed in combat. He is partnered with a veteran at this (Woody Harrelson) who shows him the ropes and tells him the rules. These scenes are emotionally raw and heartbreaking.
The movie becomes a character study of two men, both veterans of different wars, both with different outlooks on how their job should be performed. Harrelson's character believes in following the rules, Foster feels they should treat these people as human beings with feelings that should be acknowledged. Woody Harrelson, in particular, does an incredible job here. He's always been good, but here he takes his character to another level.
The screenplay never steps wrong. A scene where Foster explains what happened on his last day in combat, and why he doesn't feel like a hero after the battle, is particularly vivid in its details. Without ever seeing it happen, I could visualize it so clearly just listening to him tell the story.
This is an emotional story, wonderfully told by writer/director Oren Moverman, that really brings home the life and death struggle that a battlefield soldier endures on a daily basis, without ever showing it to us and making it seem like it might be fun to watch.
Rating for The Messenger: ****1/2.
Daughter Says:
Once again I found another war movie I can appreciate. If I keep coming across all these good war films I might have to start claiming that I like this genre.
The Messenger definitely deserved the nomination for Best Original Screenplay in the Oscars. I think Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman did a brilliant job on the script. Not only did the writers do a great job but Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson did an amazing job at bringing these characters to life. I liked Woody Harrelson in Zombieland. He played a funny part and I was surprised to find him playing a serious role. Harrelson did a good job at it too.
Now to the downer of this film. I was enjoying The Messenger all the way through, until the end. I hated the end. It was unfair. If the movie doesn't have a point at the ending, there isn't a point to watching the movie. And this movie left me feeling the same disappointment. I was not a happy camper.
Rating for The Messenger: ***1/2.
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