The beauty in Foster's portrayal is that it never completely explodes, but anger and aching seethe behind his eyes. Harrelson, meanwhile, is a good old boy with a bad old job.
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11/25/09
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The Messenger (2009)
87
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:20
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: A dark but timely subject is handled deftly by writer/directer Owen Moverman and superbly acted by Woody Harrleson and Ben Foster.
Theatrical Release:Nov 13, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $353,303
Synopsis: Co-written by Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon, THE MESSENGER is a powerful and tender story about a returned war hero making his first steps toward a normal life. In his first leading role,... [More]
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
Director: Oren Moverman
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Reviews for The Messenger
Top CriticWhenever writer-director Oren Moverman moves past these scattered and admittedly voyeuristic moments into the lives of the two soldiers, the movie drifts into received wisdom and unconvincing romance.
11/25/09
Top CriticThis is a wholly different look at the fallout of the Iraq War and its effect on soldiers and civilians. It is also a gentle portrait of grief, friendship and solace.
11/24/09
Top CriticA forcefully acted and peculiar emotional drama...
11/24/09
Top CriticThe Messenger delivers what it has to say without sensationalism or political posturing. That restraint, along with the quality of the performances, makes it all the more powerful.
11/24/09
Top CriticFoster leaves you hoping that Will finds his way home.
11/20/09
Top CriticSome jobs are dirtier than others, and after seeing director and co-writer Oren Moverman’s beautifully acted new film The Messenger, you’ll be better acquainted with some of the most grueling work a human being can be called upon to perform.
11/20/09
Top CriticThe Messenger is a privileged glimpse into people's private pain, a drama shot with the simplicity and immediacy of a documentary.
11/19/09
Top CriticThis is a poignant war movie, but it's also a buddy movie with a difference, one that's both funny and bleak.
11/19/09
Top CriticThe Messenger knows that even if it tells a tearjerking story, it doesn't have to be a tearjerker. In fact, when a sad story tries too hard, it can be fatal.
11/19/09
Top CriticI’m not sure how Morton made sense of her character’s ebbs and flows, but I never doubted her. She’s a mariner in uncharted seas of emotion.
11/16/09
Top CriticA shoddy, shouty bore. A piece of flummery.
11/15/09
Top CriticA somber drama about intimate wartime tragedies, Oren Moverman's debut feels more respectful than real.
11/13/09
Top CriticOren Moverman’s sober and satisfying drama shows how the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have created a fissure in American society.
11/13/09
Top CriticMessengers with the worst possible message, they nonetheless manage to be human and alive .... In a film that itself bears sad tidings about the costs of war, that is an affirming, even an inspiring, gift.
11/13/09
Top CriticTogether, under the assured direction of first-time feature filmmaker Oren Moverman, these three actors tell a story that is at once hard-hitting and bizarrely gentle.
11/13/09
Top CriticThe Messenger, showing humanity under siege, opens wounds inflicted by the Iraq War -- not on the battlefield but in the hearts of the families of soldiers who never made it back home.
11/12/09
Top CriticWhat The Messenger has going for it is some sober, straightforward direction from Oren Moverman and a few strong performances.
11/12/09
Top CriticA story that strays about without finding its center.
11/11/09
Top CriticThe Messenger honors those who fought and died in Iraq by acting out, with an anguished handheld immediacy, how large each of those sacrifices really is.
11/11/09
Top CriticLatest News for The Messenger
November 29, 2009:
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This week at the movies, we've got a global catastrophe (2012, starring John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor) and some rock 'n' roll rebellion (Pirate Radio, starring Philip S.... More...
October 25, 2009:
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