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Download, Watch online The Messenger (HD) Movie.
| Genres: | RomanceDrama |
| Starring: | Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Eamonn Walker, Ben Foster, Jena Malone, Samantha Morton, Yaya DaCosta |
| Director(s): | Oren Moverman |
| Available Quality: | DivX, Hi Def, iPod, Hi Def, Hi Def |
| Country: | USA |
| Year: | 2009 |
| IMDB Rating: | 7.3 |
While on a recent deployment to Iraq, US Army Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery is injured when an improvised explosive device goes off within close proximity to him. He is back in the States recovering from the more serious of those injuries, including one to his eye and leg. He has resumed a sexual relationship with his long time girlfriend Kelly, despite the fact that she is now engaged to another man who Will knows. With the few months Will has left in his enlistment, the army assigns him to the Casualty Notification Team in his area. Not having a background in counseling, psychology or grief management, he is unsure if he is well suited to this job. He is partnered with a career soldier, Captain Tony Stone, who teaches Will the precise protocol involved in the job. Tony tells Will, who quickly learns by on the job experience, that this job has its own dangers. As Will learns to adapt to the range of emotions of the next of kin, he is unprepared for the reaction of Olivia Pitterson, whose husband was killed in Iraq. His initial encounter with Olivia leads to him wanting to get to know her better, which may not be in either her or his best interest. Despite being a recovering alcoholic, the more experienced Tony tries to guide Will as best he can under their collective circumstances.
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The Messenger (HD) (iPod) | Resolution: 480x208 px | Total Size: 259 Mb |
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The Messenger (HD) (Hi Def) | Resolution: 852x368 px | Total Size: 519 Mb |
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The Messenger (HD) (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1920x816 px | Total Size: 8133 Mb |
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The Messenger (HD) (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1280x544 px | Total Size: 4474 Mb |
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The Messenger (HD) (DivX) | Resolution: 640x272 px | Total Size: 700 Mb |
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Movie Photos: We have taken some photos of "The Messenger (HD)". They represent actual movie quality.
Visitor Reviews: (20)
Jizdenky 20 May 2012
Messenger of Death
'The Messenger' is a story of compassion and courage. It follows tomilitary messengers whose jobs are to inform next-of-kins of the deathof their family member in the war. The story goes in depth into theirprofessional and what a challenging and overwhelming task it is forthese men to bring the news to families while following protocol. Atthe same time, we also see how these two soldiers have their ownstruggles to overcome, have to rebuild their own lives as it's not whatit used to be. Moverman tells a very humane story using subtle layers. the intensityis steadily maintained and the emotions of the characters are subtletoo. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster are terrific as they have deliveredone of their finest performances each. Samantha Morton is amazing tooas a grieving widow who is strong enough to move on. Jena Malone isquite bad but thankfully her screen time is small enough not to notice.Steve Buscemi is great in his two scenes.One of the many things I really liked about Moverman's storytelling ishow he handled the relationship between the widow, Olivia, and Will.This could have easily been a clichéd romance but what Moverman does isshow a friendship and even though Olivia holds off in having a physicalrelationship with Will, he's still there to help her, willing to takeit slow and let her heal through the grief.The only thing that annoyed me, and this is pretty minor, was the useof the ringtones. They'd just pop up during sequences and distract theviewer. This could have used some toning down.'The Messenger' is a poignant film about guilt and regret butultimately it's a story of hope, forgiveness and second chances.
20 May 2012
Terrific effort from Oren Moverman
The 2009 Oscars were all about "The Hurt Locker", devastating and heart-breaking. The war at home is alive with Moverman's "The Messenger", co-written with Alessandro Camon. The screenplay was Oscar nommed, as well as Woody Harrelson's fine performance. Sorely lacking was recognition for Ben Foster's central performance, which really kept things in perspective. Samantha Morton's performance was recognized by a few. This is a riveting account of some guys who are given an unpleasant job, notifying families of the death of a family member. Woody and Ben go about their rounds, and it's often hard to watch, and so well presented. It's a part of life, and life's not always pretty. This Indie film hits every nerve, and is one of the best I've watched in a long time, regarding war and resolve. The bottom line is that it's all about home, family, friendship ...and a lot more. AN AFTERTHOUGHT: "The Hurt Locker" and"The Messenger" were both powerful; the main difference I noticed was how the central characters dealt with the bombs that were being dropped.
Jon Hicks 17 May 2012
A Character Driven Story, Hailing Back to the 70s
Oren Moverman makes a strong directorial debut after having quite a bit of success as a screenwriter. Here, he relies heavily on his strength for story, yet still finds powerful sequences of visual beauty. Ben Foster plays Will Montgomery, an injured soldier, hardened by war, forced to work alongside a Gulf War Vet. Together they travel through New Jersey informing family members that their son, daughter, husband or wife has died in combat. Montgomery fights this position that requires such human contact, but soon finds kinship with a young mother whose soldier husband has just died. Moverman echoes back to the films of Hal Ashby and Robert Altman in several sequences, using long takes and a constantly probing camera lens. Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton all give very strong performances in their respected roles. The weakness, if the only one, comes in Jena Malone's character and performance. Her development is weak and, worse of all, she never fully commits to the words or moments being experienced by her character. This drags the pacing of the story, but this is only a minor complaint because she requires very little screen time. This only further pushes the need for a stronger development, yet she fails. However, Foster, Harrelson, Morton and Moverman all succeed in accomplishing something truly honest and sincere in every moment the audience gets to experience with them.
Chris Knipp 16 May 2012
The military's desperate need for routine -- and for an escape from it
Don't blame the messenger. But we do. In a key speech, one of theprotagonists points out that people don't like being reminded howhorrible war is. Or that people die in it. Delivering such news is thejob of Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson): informing, in Army jargon,the "N.O.K." (next of kin) that their loved one has just perished inIraq. The movie's job in turn, I suppose, is to tell us how many liveswar, or the latest one, wrecks. But this is, alas, likely to be anotherIraq movie nobody will want to watch. 'The Messenger' is so downbeatand its action is stuck in so deep a rut that it never quite sings oremerges from its narrow context. Nonetheless the details areinteresting, the feel is authentic, and the acting is excellent.As 'The Messenger' begins, the captain is joined by Staff Sergeant WillMontgomery (played by Ben Foster, who shone in 'Alpha Dog' and '3:10 toYuma') -- a young man who has just recovered, physically anyway, froman explosive encounter in Baghdad that got a lot of his squad killedand gained him a medal. He's come back to find that his girlfriend(Jena Malone) is marrying somebody else. When he tries to relate topeople, he tends to implode. Now he's assigned to spend his last threemonths of active duty with the captain, a shakily recovering alcoholic,who explains the rules and procedures of the difficult job of being (inthe government euphemism) a Casualty Notification Officer, with grim,dictatorial bravado (Harrelson handling his "wild man" role withpanache, restraint, and humor). You play it strictly by the book. Youdon't talk to anybody but the N.O.K. You do not wait around for theN.O.K. You get in, you say your piece, and you get out.This is about the worst job you could imagine (or the Army could offeryou), and, as shown here, downright dangerous. The N.O.K., especiallyif male, may not kill you, but they could very well physically attackyou, and at the very least will launch into hysterics, or verbal abuse,or collapse and need immediate medical attention. Partly this movie issimply the study of a process most people don't know about, thoughagain, they may not really want to know.The plot has to escape its confining how-to format. It does so -- notaltogether successfully -- by having Will, who has not really gottenwith the program, decide early on to violate protocol and becomeinvolved with the bereaved Olivia (Samantha Morton), who has a youngson, who's black, and has a sad sweetness about her. The encountersbetween Olivia and Will are painful and awkward, but touching and sad.Neither of them is ready for a relationship. Olivia is passive, andkindly. When the captain originally tells her of her husband's death,she shakes both soldiers' hands and says "I know this can't be easyfor, you," -- "a first!" the hardened Tony later exclaims. Willdesperately needs to be of help or maybe just to rest his head onOlivia's breast.These people have nowhere to go -- though Olivia decides to head south.Painfully, all three reach out a little. Tony goes off the wagon ("Ihave to call my sponsor," he says, realistically, after a binge), butin doing so, and then going fishing and getting beaten up together, thetwo men bond.The weakness of the thoughtful, well-informed screenplay by AlessandroCamon and Moverman himself (who collaborated with Todd Haynes on thescript of 'I'm Not There') is that the romance is a non-starter, toomuch of a distraction from the bonding between Tony and Will. The men'sraucous intrusion on Will's ex's wedding party is a good set piece, butboth men could use more of a back story. Moverman is said to have seenaction in the Israeli army, and the movie is at its best in capturingthe feel of military life -- the edge of craziness after long service,and the desperate refuge in routine, with an equally desperate need toescape from it. For all its weaknesses, this is a reasonably promisingdirectorial debut for Moverman, though, as I am not the first to say,it's not the greatj Iraq war movie Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker'is.
maloned 12 May 2012
Better then The Hurt Locker
I liked it more then The Hurt Locker. I cared more about thesecharacters. I was emotionally invested. I thought the Hurt Locker was alittle cliché. It was good, but not great. I really didn't care aboutthe main character in the Hurt Locker. I felt like it was the samere-hashed story of the soldier that likes war a little to much.But The Messenger takes a different approach to the Shell ShockedSoldier. This is not a war movie. But it has it's affects all over it.It really made me connect and feel what these characters were goingthrough. They were experiencing their own post traumatic stressdisorder after every message they delivered. They were already scaredby their past, so their job add in creating these multi-layeredcharacters.I recommend it.
keener05 12 May 2012
An injured war hero who only has 3 months left to serve in the Army is assigned to a casualty notification team.
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is an injured war hero whoonly has 3 months left to serve in the Army. When he comes home fromhis tour of duty he meets up with his ex-girlfriend Kelly (Jena Malone)who is marrying someone else, but is obviously still in love with Will.Will is then assigned to a casualty notification team to deliver thebad news of deceased soldiers to their next of kin. Will's commandingofficer for his new assignment is Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson).Will is apprehensive about his new task and his new co-worker.Eventually, but not easily, a bond between Will and Tony grows. The jobdoes not get easier, but Will settles in.Samantha Morton played Olivia Pitterson, the wife of a fallen soldierwho Will falls for, and Steve Buscemi surprised me as Dale Martin, anangry father of a fallen soldier who spits on Will and calls him acoward.One theme that I took away from this film was that while a certainsituation (such as war) can tear some people apart (Will and Kelly), itmay bring others closer together (Will and Olivia). Another theme couldbe that going through tough situations can help build strong bondsbetween people (Will and Tony, Will and Olivia).Ben Foster plays a very convincing role of a soldier struggling to copewith his new job, his crush on Olivia Pitterson, and the war that he istrying to recover from.Woody Harrelson adds his flare/humor to the character Tony Stone. Eventhough this is a serious movie, there were a few parts where he made melaugh.The Messenger could possibly be compared to The Hurt Locker (which isalso a movie about soldiers in the Iraq war), because both films showhow soldiers and their relationships are affected by the war.One technique that was used was the pace of the film. The scenessometimes felt a bit long and drawn out, which is maybe how Will felthis life was going now that he had taken on this new task. Anothertechnique that was used was invisible sound. There were a few sceneswhere Will was alone in his home and there was very loud rock or heavymetal music in the background. It gave viewers some idea of the angerand loneliness he was feeling.Film critic A.O. Scott who writes for The New York Times says, "Nomovie can convey the truth of war to those of us who have not livedthrough it, but The Messenger, precisely by acknowledging just how hardit is to live with that truth, manages to bring it at least partwayhome." This film turned out to be somewhat more interesting than Ithought it might be. It shed some light on what soldiers deal withafter returning from war, and also all of the people that war directlyand indirectly affects.
Ali Catterall 09 May 2012
Knocking people up the wrong way
Two-thirds into The Messenger, Woody Harrelson's grizzled Desert Stormveteran ironically puts his finger on part of the reason whyHollywood's Iraq war dramas have been such flops. As he tells BenFoster's young, traumatised war hero, "In Vietnam, those guys got laidsix ways from Sunday". Bosnia? "Best brothels in the world." But Iraq?"All that religious bulls**t  and nobody getting laid. That's half thereason everybody's so angry!" Crudely put, Iraq isn't sexy. Iraq is too recent, too raw, too alienand frankly too illegal for most cinema-goers to regard asentertainment. Even the prospect of Jason Bourne in Baghdad couldn'tsave Green Zone from scooping less than a handful of sand at the boxoffice. And if The Hurt Locker proved the bankable exception, all itreally proves is that people prefer their action movies as apoliticalas possible. Actually, the best films being made right now about thewars in the middle-east are documentaries  which is also problematic,as American audiences usually look forward to those about as much asgetting their feet blown off by an IED. As a US army private remarkedin 2007, Iraq "is a reality show everybody's bored of." What The Messenger does is to bring the war back home again in a veryliteral and jolting way. Foster and Harrelson play emissaries for theAngel of Death. As a Casualty Notification team it is their hideousassignation to ring doorbells and unmake somebody's day. These soldiersmay be deactivated from combat, but together they're as lethal as apair of hollow points  one weathered and scratched, the other, freshlypopped out of the mould, repeatedly strolling into zones packed withemotional time-bombs... and heavily pregnant girlfriends. It's never anything other than absolutely horrible. And strangely,calls to mind Alan Clarke's short film Elephant  a succession ofnear-wordless sectarian executions in Northern Ireland. With theirlong, static takes, both pictures have a voyeuristic quality, but whereElephant is coolly dispassionate, The Messenger means to shake you likea rag doll, and does so.As a character study and dark sort of buddy movie, it works very well.There's something of the young Sean Penn about the excellent Foster,straining to reach out to the world, while the testosterone-squirtingHarrelson, whose bald dome and beady eye makes him look even more likea walking erection, personifies the confluence between lust and warwith every utterance: "I'd like to strap her on and wear her like agovernment-issue gas mask" he notes of a passing barmaid.If there's a certain over-familiarity about its scenes of men hurtingthemselves in small rooms to speed metal soundtracks, or limpingdazedly around supermarket aisles longer and wider than Death Valley,well, perhaps that's unavoidable: this is now cinema's officialdepiction of PTSD. The film does lose focus after Foster ignoresprocedure ("Don't touch the N.O.Ks!") and falls for Samantha Morton'sarmy widow  a beautifully understated performance, despite having toparrot such clunky Oscar-bait as "His shirt smelled of rage and fear.It smelled of the man he had become, over there. You know?" In his 1959 novel The Tin Drum, Günter Grass conjures up a swankypost-war nightspot called The Onion Cellar, where emotionallyconstipated Germans pay through the nose to perch on crates andritually slice onions until they're swimming in crocodile tears. Backthen, Grass was satirising Germany's inability to grieve following itsnumbing defeat. Today, Hollywood is harvesting onions as fast as it can yet the more onions it lobs at audiences, the more audiences duck. Perhaps years from now, a drama will be made that perfectly articulatesthe Allied experience of Iraq, as The Deer Hunter or Apocalypse Now didwith Vietnam. The Messenger isn't that film, but it's among the betterones.
meeza 08 May 2012
Message must be heard on this film's messages
I have to throw in a few messages on the drama "The Messenger".Writer-Director Oren Moverman's melancholic film does present more thanjust a few messages on the psychological trauma of warfare and on theintense wretchedness of Casualty Notification officers. Ben Fosterstars as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery. He is proclaimed a hero forsaving the lives of several soldiers during an Iraq deployment;however, Will suffered leg & eye injuries for his bravery and iseventually sent back to the states. The Army then assigns Montgomery aspart of a Casualty Notification Team, but initially Will does not havethe will to power up to that challenge. Woody Harrelson co-stars asCaptain Tony Stone, who is Will's mentor & partner of the CasualtyNotification Team. During their first few days together on the job,Tony teaches Will the ropes of the CN but Will would rather stay homeand watch CNN instead of delivering heart-wrenching news to familymembers of those killed on duty. The boys do initially bump heads withtheir contradictory personalities, but eventually the predictablebromance does blossom between the two, army style. I do credit Movermanfor making the right moves in directing the intense scenes of Tony andWill delivering the somber news to family members. Though they wereprofoundly depressing, they were the most authentic scenes of themovie. I don't want to be a bearer of bad news, but I think Movermanstumbles a bit in the scenes of Will's lonesome despair and hissemi-stalking of a recently deceased soldier's wife. It was a bit toodesolate & creepy for my taste, even with the theme of the narrative.Moverman's screenplay (deservingly nominated for a Best ScreenplayOscar nomination) was poignant enough to spread the message in theHollywood circles that the young Oren is a man on the move; upwardsthat is. The best news worth delivering of "The Messenger" is about itsexemplary acting ensemble. Ben Foster's tour-de-force performance asStaff Sergeant Will Montgomery was emotionally commanding. Cheers toWoody Harrelson for delivering the best performance of hiswell-respected career for his role as Captain Tony Stone. And is therea better actress working today than Samantha Morton? Maybe, but not toomany. She was stunning in her few scenes as Olivia Patterson, therecent widower who attracts the attention of Montgomery. The legendarycharacter actor Steve Buscemi only shows up in a couple of scenes as agrieving father but his character's sentiment speaks volumes of TheMessenger's focal message. "The Messenger" is not one for the lighthearted, but does merit a badge of courage for fixating on theheavy-hearted Casualty Notification officers. God Bless them all. ****Good
pwbryan52 06 May 2012
What it is to be human...
The Messenger is one of the most simple and truthful films I've everseen. (I have seen thousands and have a degree in film from N.Y.U.) Itseems it is going uncelebrated because of the content and subjectmatter. It deals with simple truthful human circumstances we would notlike to deal with. I am glad those who were involved in this film werecourageous enough to make it and to make it so well. It is one of thebetter and most beautiful documents of much of what it is to be human.Each character is fully realized without the slightest bit offalsehood. It is a great and noble story and presented unvarnished. Iwould not suggest it for children, young people, absolutely, adultswithout fail.
John DeSando 06 May 2012
Delightfully Depressing
"Where seldom is heard a discouraging word . . ." All the words in The Messenger are discouraging, a film about twosoldiers who deliver the news of deaths to next of kin. Ben Foster asStaff Sergeant Will Montgomery and Woody Harrelson as Captain TonyStone evoke the pathos and terror of the delivery, which no one couldever be prepared for or endure without pain.Just as Kathryn Bigelow's Hurt Locker reduces the horror of the IraqWar to a manageable microcosm of the horror of IUD's with her study ofa bomb squad, so too does director Oren Moverman take that war andcrystallize it in the terrifying acts of delivering and receiving theSecretary of the Army's condolences. Never is there a light momentexcept when the two soldiers get drunk and sing Home on the Range, anironic song of tranquility amidst chaos.The dramatic moments of this memorable film are many because thepremise should not be taken lightly or romanticized, like battleitself. The message of the film and its titular heroes is sodesperately depressing that only superior actors such as Foster andHarrelson could make you feel at home on this range.
05 May 2012
The Messenger Review
THE MESSENGER STARRING: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone and Steve Buscemi WRITTEN BY: Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman DIRECTED BY: Oren Moverman Rated: R Genre: Drama Release Date: 15 November 2009 How do I even begin to explain the brilliance of The Messenger? It's a tear jerking journey of two men's quest to respectfully and consistently do the unimaginable: deliver the news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers. In person, mind you. I'll start by saying that this is the kind of film, much like Forrest Gump, where at its end we are sad it is over, and want to spend more time with the characters. Their story took a toll on us, sure; but we have fallen in love with them. This film has the hold over us that a great novel does. We spend so much time with the characters, that by the time the screen goes black or we reach the author's credit page, we feel like we've lost a close friend. Aside from the amazing screenplay, and the personal way the movie is filmed, this feeling is due mainly to the sensational performances of Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. Harrelson received his much deserved Oscar nomination, but where in the holy H-E-double hockey sticks was Ben Foster's nomination? This kid is continuously being overlooked in his movies, and it's growing tiresome.I was in the Military for five years, and while I was in the Navy rather than the Army, I did a stretch of six months with them in Afghanistan. Six months may not sound like that long, but when you're in Afghanistan, there isn't much to do, so we got to know each other pretty well. The reason I'm telling you this is, both of these gentleman, Harrelson and Foster, were so convincing as U.S. soldiers, that real soldiers wouldn't know they were pretending, were it not for their fame. I know that all I've done is go on and on about how great this film is without telling you anything about it, but there is a method to my madness found in faithful repetitive praise, here. And I'm not going to tell you much else folks; as you can see by looking only a few lines below, this review is almost over. There is no reason to reveal too much in this case, for it is better served up fresh without knowing any details. And you already know all you need to, to tell if this is a film you would be interested in seeing. I will add that the film does not spend any time defending or bashing the war, or the choices our government has made. It simply tells the story of two extraordinary people and the demons they must face. And that my friends, is something we can all relate to as human beings; regardless of where we stand politically or where we may come from.
05 May 2012
No Clear Villain
With Netflix on-demand internet streaming on my bluray player, I get the opportunity to watch some great new release indie movies like The Messenger (2009). This finely crafted story about two Army officers who notify next of kin of the death of a solider is a surprising addition to the growing collection of Iraq/Afghanistan war movies. I know the press and Hollywood like to talk about how these recent war movies of the last decade aren't making a big box office splash like Saving Private Ryan (1998) or Pearl Harbor (2001) did, and yet these films keep getting made and finding an audience. And I'm definitely a member of that audience. I don't think any of them are as good as Saving Private Ryan or the other great WWII movies of the last 15-20 years, but these wars are different and the movies reflect that. WWII will probably never be matched in its clarity and power of story. Hitler was such a perfect black-and-white villain, whereas the Iraq and Afghanistan wars really have no "clear" villain.The Messenger stars Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster, both giving some of the best performances of their careers. Harrelson was rightly nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a damaged army officer in this film. First time director Oren Moverman has mad a nice first film. I really enjoyed the first half of the film as it built up emotionally, but I felt that the second half just drifted away without enough focus on plot. It's definitely a film worth seeing for the good cinematography (as evidenced by the still images below that I captured from the trailer) and the great acting.
05 May 2012
A Small Heartbreak of a Film
War films usually concentrate on the exploits of the war hero, charging into battle, guns ablaze, mowing down enemies without so much as a care in the world, and come out with nary a band-aid on their forehead. Occasionally, the best friend dies, in order to get the hero back on track and advance the plot. One never thinks of the people at home, waiting for the best friend to return. And one certainly never thinks of the people who have to notify those loved ones. This film centers on two such soldiers, who live to bring news and grief, as they deal with their own grief, in this quiet film "The Messenger".Woody Harrelson turns in another award worthy performance as Captain Tony Stone, who teams up with just out of combat Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) to deliver news of combat deaths. Foster is dealing with an severe eye injury and an injury of the soul as he learns the details of this terrible job. On the heels of an unrequited love, Montgomery struggles with the tenets of the job as the two become a harbinger of death to those they meet. One particular widow strikes Mongomery's fancy, Olivia, who deals with the death of her husband as well as the growing attraction to the soldier who told her of it. The dichotomy between the two is delicious.Yet, the film rests squarely on the shoulders of Harrelson and Foster, and together, the two make an intimidating and formidable pair. When either is alone, the film loses a bit of its luster, and you long for the two anti-heroes to come back together again. Kudos must be given to all of the actors who performed those loved ones receiving the news. There isn't a dishonest one in the bunch, starting with a small cameo by Steve Buscemi as an angry, irate father.This isn't an easy film to watch. War isn't ever easy, and so it follows that the aftermath of it is even less so. This film celebrates all of that messiness, and honor, and valor, and realism with a honesty that is not often seen in movies now.
Turfseer 05 May 2012
Contrived tale of Army Casualty Notification Unit
The job of notifying next of kin by the Army Casualty Notification Unitis an extremely sensitive one. Such a job is not entrusted to justanyone in the militaryÂyou have to undergo significant training beforeyou're assigned to such a specialized unit. That's why it's hard tobelieve that Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) would bethrust into the job when he only has three months of enlistment timeleft. What's more, would the Sergeant have been chosen since he's onlyrecently come back from Iraq and may have been traumatized there? Asfor his training, his commanding officer, Captain Tony Stone (WoodyHarrelson), merely throws a training manual in his lap and expects himto learn the job as they go along.To confess, I'm a bit biased against movies such as 'The Messenger'because I find characters who like themselves to be vastly morecompelling and believable than those who don't. In general, characterswho don't like themselves are dull and rarely add to the dramatic flowof the narrative (can you imagine a sad-sack Tony Soprano evercapturing the public's imagination?). The strategy of the Messenger'sscenarists is to start us off with the two angst-ridden soldiers,Montgomery and Stone, and eventually show how they redeem themselves byovercoming their depressing background and circumstances.Montgomery is basically a putz who can't accept the fact that hisformer girlfriend has dumped him and is now engaged to someone else(how many sad-sack soldiers do you know who would actually show up atan ex-girlfriend's wedding intoxicated and wearing unwashed militaryfatigues?). The implication of course is that somehow, due to beingtraumatized in Iraq, he would end up acting that way. The contrivedwedding scene is designed to show Montgomery at his lowest momentÂafteracting in such a boorish manner, he can now redeem himself by lending ahelping hand to Olivia (Samantha Morton), the widow who he recentlynotified that her husband had been killed in action.Similarly, Captain Stone also has self-esteem issues. On the surface,his by-the-book demeanor masks a deep self-hatred. This is manifestedin his constant skirt-chasing and avoidance of any meaningfulrelationships with women. The basic question arises: would the Militaryactually have put someone like Captain Stone in charge of an armyCasualty Notification Unit (i.e. someone so broken and negative?). Iwould suggest that such a negative character is a complete exaggerationanyway, designed merely to create dramatic scenarios where none wouldexist truly in reality. But even if such a character existed, he wouldprobably be the last chosen by the military to head a CasualtyNotification Unit.It takes a good deal of time before the central conflict comes to ahead between Stone and Montgomery. And that is basically Montgomerybelieves in being a little more sensitive when notifying the next ofkin as opposed to Stone who wants to follow 'procedures'. That's aboutthe essence of the conflict between the two principals and when theyfinally confront each other, it's not much of a payoff. The sub-plotinvolves Montgomery trying to start things up with OliviaÂhis decisionto not make the moves on her is designed to show that he's a 'good guy'after all and through his efforts to help her, shows that he's attaineda measure of redemption.The Messenger also consists of various scenes in which the next of kinare notified of the deaths of their loved one's. Given the variety ofthe people we meet, it's probably the most interesting aspect of thefilm. Steve Buscemi's performance is probably the most notable (forbetter or worse) of these characters, where he strikes Montgomery afterbeing notified about the death of his son, and later offers a ratherpredictable apology.I've read that the men and women who perform the job of the CasualtyNotification Units are dedicated, trained professionals who by thenature of their employment, must set an example by living lives ofgreat integrity (unlike the two troubled malcontents in 'TheMessenger'). The contrived characters of 'The Messenger' do nothing toenhance the reputation of these specialized units; rather, theiropposition feels artificial, contrived, all part of a plot artificethat calls for the type of conflict one might expect to see in themovies but never in real life. While I have no doubt, 'The Messenger'was meticulously researched as to how these Notification units operate,it still feels like it was written by an outsider. 'The Messenger'might have gotten many of its 'facts' right, but unfortunately I couldnot believe I was watching a story about real people.
ppazniokas 03 May 2012
NOT a war movie; NOT a movie about an ethical dilemma
I was fortunate enough to see this at the recent NY Drama Criticsshowcase, where both the director (Mr. Moverman) and a co-star (WoodyHarrelson) participated in after-show Q&A. First of all, the film issuperb - but the summaries I've seen so far do not do justice to whatthe movie is really about. Sure there are ethical dilemmas, sure thereare soldiers who have returned from Iraq. But the great strength ofthis film is its focus on individual human beings and their reaction tohumans' most important concerns: life, death and love. Oren Moverman -accomplishing this so beautifully, accurately and subtly in asmall-budget film - is to be congratulated. Woody Harrelson, Ben Fosterand Samantha Morton are all magically on the same wavelength in theirperformances. And the writing (by Camon and Moverman) acknowledges thefact that reasonably intelligent people might be watching... people whodon't need every little detail spelled out. Oh yes - I should mentionthat there's a lot of humor interspersed throughout. The result of allthis? The people you meet in this film will stay with you for a verylong time - and you'll be glad for that.
03 May 2012
Timeless, powerful, deeply moving.
*** This review may contain spoilers *** The job of notifying next of kin by the Army Casualty Notification Unit is an extremely sensitive one. Such a job is not entrusted to just anyone in the military--you have to undergo significant training before you're assigned to such a specialized unit. That's why it's hard to believe that Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) would be thrust into the job when he only has three months of enlistment time left. What's more, would the Sergeant have been chosen since he's only recently come back from Iraq and may have been traumatized there? As for his training, his commanding officer, Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), merely throws a training manual in his lap and expects him to learn the job as they go along. To confess, I'm a bit biased against movies such as 'The Messenger' because I find characters who like themselves to be vastly more compelling and believable than those who don't. In general, characters who don't like themselves are dull and rarely add to the dramatic flow of the narrative (can you imagine a sad-sack Tony Soprano ever capturing the public's imagination?). The strategy of the Messenger's scenarists is to start us off with the two angst-ridden soldiers, Montgomery and Stone, and eventually show how they redeem themselves by overcoming their depressing background and circumstances. Montgomery is basically a putz who can't accept the fact that his former girlfriend has dumped him and is now engaged to someone else (how many sad-sack soldiers do you know who would actually show up at an ex-girlfriend's wedding intoxicated and wearing unwashed military fatigues?). The implication of course is that somehow, due to being traumatized in Iraq, he would end up acting that way. The contrived wedding scene is designed to show Montgomery at his lowest moment--after acting in such a boorish manner, he can now redeem himself by lending a helping hand to Olivia (Samantha Morton), the widow who he recently notified that her husband had been killed in action. Similarly, Captain Stone also has self-esteem issues. On the surface, his by-the-book demeanor masks a deep self-hatred. This is manifested in his constant skirt-chasing and avoidance of any meaningful relationships with women. The basic question arises: would the Military actually have put someone like Captain Stone in charge of an Army Casualty Notification Unit (i.e. someone so broken and negative?). I would suggest that such a negative character is a complete exaggeration anyway, designed merely to create dramatic scenarios where none would exist truly in reality. But even if such a character existed, he would probably be the last chosen by the military to head a Casualty Notification Unit. It takes a good deal of time before the central conflict comes to a head between Stone and Montgomery. And that is basically Montgomery believes in being a little more sensitive when notifying the next of kin as opposed to Stone who wants to follow 'procedures'. That's about the essence of the conflict between the two principals and when they finally confront each other, it's not much of a payoff. The sub-plot involves Montgomery trying to start things up with Olivia--his decision to not make the moves on her is designed to show that he's a 'good guy' after all and through his efforts to help her, shows that he's attained a measure of redemption. The Messenger also consists of various scenes in which the next of kin are notified of the deaths of their loved one's. Given the variety of the people we meet, it's probably the most interesting aspect of the film. Steve Buscemi's performance is probably the most notable (for better or worse) of these characters, where he strikes Montgomery after being notified about the death of his son, and later offers a rather predictable apology. I've read that the men and women who perform the job of the Casualty Notification Units are dedicated, trained professionals who by the nature of their employment, must set an example by living lives of great integrity (unlike the two troubled malcontents in 'The Messenger'). The contrived characters of 'The Messenger' do nothing to enhance the reputation of these specialized units; rather, their opposition feels artificial, contrived, all part of a plot artifice that calls for the type of conflict one might expect to see in the movies but never in real life. While I have no doubt, 'The Messenger' was meticulously researched as to how these Notification units operate, it still feels like it was written by an outsider. 'The Messenger' might have gotten many of its 'facts' right, but unfortunately I could not believe I was watching a story about real people.
01 May 2012
Only worth watching the first half
It took me a while to get up the nerve to watch this movie, I have spent most of my adult life in the military and this topic hits close to home. The first half of the movie was exactly what I expected, powerful and emotional scenes. The way the "job" was presented and the rules involved in it were dignified and real. The conflict created by these rules was also very real, you felt yourself wanting to console these people who were hurting so bad, you felt the plight of the characters in not being able to do so. It was all very real and believable. Then apparently the writers ran out of ideas.Spoiler alert, I guess.The second half of the movie is a cliched mess. Soldiers who were so professional and dignified in the first half are now so vile, drunk, and obnoxious I was embarrassed for them. The stalking of the widow, showing up drunk and dirty at the ex-girlfriend's wedding, the embarrassing toast, it was all way overboard. I understand the writer was trying to show the human side of these guys in that they were flawed and all, but way over done in my opinion.
IAN 30 April 2012
Very Moving.. Emotional film..Be prepared..
This film will soften the hardest heart..THis should be a must see for All of America..Those who dont bother thinking about the War and what our people are going through over there and when they come back.. AMERICA>>GO TO SCHOOL AND SEE THIS MOVIE>>I agree as well.. I'm sure we'll see and OSCAR NOMINAION for this film..
Jim Gilligan 28 April 2012
Brutally honest
"The Messenger" tells the story of two soldiers whose unenviable job itis to inform deceased soldiers' next of kin that their loved one hasbeen killed. Woody Harrelson, in an Oscar-nominated role, and BenFoster deliver the performances of their careers as they portrayconflicting views of patriotism and service to one's country. Bothsoldiers are coping with survivor's guilt, and their brutal struggle tomake sense of their experiences in battle and in grief is both painfuland cathartic. This is a well-written and emotionally honest film thatmoves slowly in spots, but its unflinching honesty provides redemption.If you overlooked this one in theaters (or if it never made it to yourtown), catch it on DVD.
Jack Gattanella 27 April 2012
Bad News Bearers
The Messenger is about as funny as a burning orphanage. I mean that asa compliment (not as it was originally used before for a negativecomment on Harold and Maude years ago). It's a film that is preciselyuncomfortable to listen to, where we see the effects of war on thehome-front- of, if not quite post-traumatic stress, then the stress ofexpectations of fighting or not fighting in combat- and also the taskof doing a job that nobody in their right mind ever *wants* to do. Inthat sense it's akin to Up in the Air, only here there's not a shred ofsatire to it. It's a hard position to sit in, seeing these two soldiersplayed by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson, going up to the houses andconfront the mothers and fathers and wives of the men and women who'vebeen killed in action in Iraq. Frankly, it's hard for the soldiersthemselves. It's untenable, but, as it so happens with the war itself,someone is put out on the front lines.Oren Moverman's film works best at observing these men in their privatemoments, in the ones where they have to connect, or show their lackthereof, with other people. Foster's character is a war hero (orso-called, he doesn't think he deserves it) who is assigned this job ofinforming those of a soldier's death, with only three months left inhis tour of duty. He is on edge; he listens to unnecessarily loud rockmusic, or stares off in his near empty apartment, or, at one point,lets out his boiling-hot rage when he finds that the one girl he mightbe intimately close to, Kelly (Jena Malone) is marrying another guy.And meanwhile, he finds himself becoming emotionally (though notsexually) involved with one of the women (Samantha Morton) than heinformed of her husband's death in Iraq. Anything could happen to him.He's also under the quasi-tutelage of Woody Harrelson's Officer Stone,a long-timer of this kind of thing, reading from a script-book as tohow to talk directly with those who will break down in tears (orperhaps get violent), and sees it as nothing more than a straight-onjob without the slightest shed of sentiment or human feeling. That, hesays, is for the grieving counselor in a few hours time after theyleave to handle. But what's fascinating is seeing these two mentogether, little by little, as they're layers are peeled away. They getdrunk together, very drunk (Stone is supposed to be in recovery), andsome secrets are revealed - or what the respective soldier thinks is asecret. And all the while they have to put up their soldier's face,knowing when they tell the news to someone like Steve Buscemi'smortified father of a dead soldier (who, in one of the best scenes ofthe film, completely flips out on Foster, i.e. "You (bleep) coward!").While Moverman is a really sensitive director to scenes of powerfulemotion - watch as he keeps it all in a one-shot take of the scenebetween Morton and Foster, as any forced sexual tension is diffused bythe shared attention to each of their inner pain and grief - it's anactor's movie through and through. It's very good to see Foster in arole like this, playing something aside from the usual lot of psychovillains he's portrayed (i.e. Hostage, 3:10 to Yuma), and he evenbrings something of a Marlon Brando quality: quiet, detached, but fullof real humanity just burrowed underneath his demeanor. And yet for asgood as Foster is, and as amazing Morton and Buscemi have with theirsmall roles, Harrelson really does it for me as one of the bestperformances of the year. He's strong but wild, amused and detached,wise about the after-effects of war but unknowing really of what it waslike 'over-there' (Desert Storm 91, nuff said). It's a fully roundedperformance by an actor who has been getting better and better over theyears.He and Foster give the goods on a little movie that is very sad,without a real plot but focused really on the sorrow of real peoplefeeling in real situations. It's not perfect- certainly it doesn't havethe cinematic gravitas and force of The Hurt Locker- but it is a verygood example of a film that, appropriately, brings what's going on overthere right onto the small-town streets and American homes. It'srespectful of US soldiers, but questions, with a fine and honestlydramatic hand, what it takes to live with death. 8.5/10