The Messenger

Rating

Director

Oren Moverman

Screenplay

Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman

Length

105 min.

Starring

Ben Foster, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Samantha Morton

MPAA Rating

R for language and some sexual content/nudity.

Review

Too often, the concerns of families at home when their loved ones are at war, is disproportionately covered. While we have occasion to witness a few somber notifications (such as in Saving Private Ryan) no film I’ve seen has so effectively tackled the many faces of grief as are presented in The Messenger.

Injured in the field and destined to head back to the states, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, a dedicated military officer, is assigned to help Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) as he brings the country’s condolences to the homes of slain soldiers.

The film explores the difficulties of being the bearers of bad news. It looks at how two different personalities, the more compassionate side of Will Montgomery and the by-the-book approach of Tony Stone, handle such situations and how they cope with their own feelings about their duties.

Although some may see the film as being about the romantic relationship, or perhaps concerned compassion, that develops between Will and Olivia (Samantha Morton), one of the individuals to whom he must bring notification. It is more about how people handle grief in dire times and how those who must deliver the worst of news deal with it.

The performances here are perfectly crafted. Foster has not been given nearly enough credit for this subtle performance. The way he approaches each scene pulls the audience into his character as he wrestles with his own personal demons, internalizes the guilt and frustration of those he meets and unwinds as only one with such concerns possibly could.

Harrelson’s long history as an actor is laid bare in his performance as Captain Stone. He puts aside the callous, superficial roles he’s done in the past and delves into an man who has gladly hefted such a tremendous burden on his shoulders and carried it through even when he just wants to scream and leave it all behind. He has a purpose and he will carry it out. Not since The People vs. Larry Flynt have I seen him this emotionally and critically involved in his work.

Morton’s all-too-brief performance makes audience want to learn more about this enigmatic woman who is forced now to raise her young child on her own, the war having taken her husband away. Her scenes with Foster are among the most delicate and finely honed an actress of her caliber could deliver. You empathize with her desperate situation and feel intense compassion for the bravery with which she handles the news, thanking the men whose jobs she knows can’t have been easy.

This is a debut from a director who clearly knows how to escape many of the pitfalls of the subject matter. While many directors might have over-sentimentalized the delivery of grief, plying the audience with mournful music and an overabundance of crying, director Oren Moverman captures an honest reality in his depictions of these families. None of the reactions are identical showing the audience that what you see in big Hollywood films isn’t always an evocation of realism.

The film moves a little slowly, but not to the point of feeling unnecessary. Although the film could have used more interweaving of plot elements, combining the notifications with the examination of how these soldiers lived in their downtime, the film still tells an effective story. The Messenger shows the humanity of the brave soldiers who must carry out the governments most solemn duty and displaying how both sides cope.

Even when we see Stone and Montgomery passing time in rather frivolous manners, drinking, carousing, flirting, we understand their need to escape. We don’t expect them to be iron columns immune to the environment around them, so we can easily forgive their sometimes-crass pursuits.

Films released during wartime typically encourage and embolden the audience, helping them support their country and their soldiers through heroic displays. The Messenger performs this act well, but not in a manner typically reserved for war films. It doesn’t preach for or against war. It doesn’t marginalize the victims or deify the soldiers. It creates humanity on both sides, presenting characters with charms and foibles. It pulls us in and earns our respect and gratitude.

Review Written

January 21, 2010