The Messenger

Sure, it's filled with grief, but this quiet masterpiece is a gorgeous film about surviving .......The film straddles the military and the civilian beautifully..... ... Full Review

But for all the film's gritty verisimilitude, The Messenger is not the great Iraq War movie that Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is.....In fact, The Messenger is more like the Bigelow film's only weak point.....There are powerful moments, to be sure, in Moverman's drama.....the story behind Will's wounds, physical and psychic, is revealed....And Foster, his body tattooed, his eyes brooding and mean, lets Moverman's screenplay get the better of him..... ... Full Review

Given that as a starting point, it would have been easy for "The Messenger" to turn into a patriotic melodrama or a hopelessly somber tragedy.....Instead, emotions are used sparingly, with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast --....to breathe, filling the silences with indelible characters whose humanity makes room for humor and hope as well..... ... Full Review

Given that as a starting point, it would have been easy for "The Messenger" to turn into a patriotic melodrama or a hopelessly somber tragedy.....Instead, emotions are used sparingly, with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast --....to breathe, filling the silences with indelible characters whose humanity makes room for humor and hope as well..... ... Full Review

But I kept sitting through much of "The Messenger" thinking this film is not good enough to make me feel so bad.....Steve Buscemi is quite good as a father who takes the news of his son's death very badly.....Scenes in which Will and Tony crash Will's ex's engagement party are too contrived to take seriously..... ... Full Review

I've worried before that it might be too soon for movies about our current wars. They're too fresh to get a dramatic grip on either the conflicts or what provoked them. ... Full Article

In "The Messenger," Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), recovering stateside after being wounded in Iraq, is partnered with the rigid Army lifer Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) as a "bereavement notification" team. ... Full Article

"The Messenger" has been on the tip of Americans' tongues for months, thanks to prerelease screenings at film festivals from Sundance to Sedona. Co-written by director Oren Moverman ("I'm Not There," "Jesus' Son"), the story follows Army Staff Sgt. ... Full Article

'The Messenger opens Friday, November 20, 2009 In the quietly searing drama-which has earned excellent reviews and Oscar buzz - a wounded Iraq War veteran and a jaded Army captain pair up to work one of the most dreaded jobs... ... Full Article

In his directorial debut, "The Messenger," Oren Moverman takes the viewer on an emotional journey. The story follows decorated war-veteran Staff Sargeant Will Montgomery, played by Ben Foster, as he attempts to wind down his last three months in the... ... Full Article

If you're a fan of movies where real men manage to break taboos about touching without actually fucking, a tough-minded, tendered-hearted new film, The Messenger, may be just the ticket. ... Full Article