I am always leery about independent war films. They sometimes veer hard left and become political sounding boards. The last thing I want to spend my movie money on is political cinema that bashes the Country I love or her dedicated Soldiers and Marines. I am also not a big fan of Woody Harrelson. That combination of factors put The Messenger outside my comfort zone. However, the trailer for The Messenger grabbed my attention enough to pique my interest. It was a good choice.
The Messenger follows two soldiers assigned to the difficult, unrewarding task of notifying "next of kin" when a service member is killed in action. The trailers reminded me a little bit of Taking Chance which follows a Marine escorting a KIA Marine home to his family. Both films address very emotional and personal experiences, capturing the crises with snapshots of human grief that only begin to tell the story. Both of them were moving, although very different. The Messenger was edgier and a bit dramatic, but enjoyable.
Harrelson plays Captain Tony Stone, an alcoholic officer who battles his own demons while spending his days delivering the news that will forever change peoples' lives. He suffers from a sense of disillusionment and inferiority from his lack of "action." He is assigned a new team member, SSG Montgomery (Ben Foster), a war hero with three months left on his contract. Montgomery struggles from the lack of crisis intervention following his own traumatic injuries and other demons that haunt him. The job of notification brings out the suppressed stress that both soldiers are battling with, but also manages to draw them closer together.
When an individual "becomes" the precipitating event in the crises of other people, day in and day out...it is eventually going to take a toll. It is a service that someone has to perform, and for our military, it is undertaken with the utmost of respect, honor and dignity. But that honor and dignity does not lessen the blow to those on the receiving end of tragic news. The Messenger does a good job of creating a variety of reactions and scenarios to demonstrate the raw emotions that these characters face endlessly as they complete their mission.
The Messenger does an excellent job with these characters, providing them depth, interesting qualities and a unique chemistry that includes some shared quirks. Harrelson surprised me with the insecure toughness that he brought to the role. The contradictions in his character must have been difficult to master, but Harrelson was convincing. Foster was impeccable. As a soldier, as a person, his character was likable, believable, tough and disciplined. Although there were some accuracy issues I struggled with in terms of protocols, the actual military bearing stuff seemed pretty well researched. Small details like removing your cover as you enter a building (which is simply done second nature) seemed fluid and natural. The details were well managed. The actors were complemented by Samantha Morton, who convincingly portrayed Olivia Pitterson, a recent widow (and recipient of their bad news).
The writing could have gone a great number of directions, especially when they introduce a love interest in the form of a recently widowed wife of a fallen soldier. The film would have completely lost me if they had allowed that plot line to evolve the direction it appeared to be going. Instead, The Messengerremains warm and engaging and does not compromise the favorable traits of the characters. The rich dialogue and unique conversations further added dimension to this film. I was happy that the film proved my initial impulse to be wrong and then avoided the pitfalls that I thought might be coming as I watched the film. Oren Moverman (who adapted the screenplay and directed) did a good job of keeping the film fresh but credible. He obviously had a good book to work from. The original was written by Allesandro Camon, who also assisted on the screenplay.
The Messengerstarts out with a fairly steamy sex scene that is brief but graphic. The subject matter includes an affair with a woman about to be married, sex with girls who are dangerously close to being minors and adult situations. But the most dramatic and contextual elements of the film lie in the raw emotion laid bare by the arrival of two soldiers in full dress uniform. It is a sight that no loved one (who has someone serving overseas) wants to see at their door. The film adequately captures the stress and trauma caused by the messengers of death. That trauma, which is all too real, could have a negative impact on younger viewers. Although the film was rated R by the MPAA, I would suggest at least a teen audience, maybe older depending on your personal views on sex and nudity. Run time is one hour, 53 minutes.
The Messengeris a challenging film to watch. The film captures the most extreme of reactions creating tumultuous scenes of stress and disorder. Although I believe that the drama was overplayed for the sake of the film. Having some personal experience and exposure to crisis intervention, I would imagine that most notifications are far more reserved than what was depicted in the film. But scenes like the ones created in this film are certain to happen and are therefore credible...they simply squashed all of the worst into this film for the sake of good drama. The acting was excellent to include Harrelson who surprised me. The Messenger is a worthwhile film that I would highly recommend. 7.5/10.
Trailer and images subject to copyright.