It would have been easy for this moving new drama that follows an Army casualty notification team as they tell families a loved one has died in combat to turn into a patriotic melodrama or a hopelessly somber tragedy. It is neither. Instead emotions are used sparingly with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast -- Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton -- to breathe, filling the silences with indelible characters whose humanity makes room for humor and hope as well. Read Sharkey's full review of "The Messenger" at the LA Times
Synopsis "The Messenger"
Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival.
Opened November 13, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 45 min.
R language and some sexual content/nudity
Cast: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi, Eamonn Walker
Director: Oren Moverman
Genres: Psychological Drama, War Drama, Drama
Movie times and tickets for "The Messenger" from Fandango
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