The Messenger
THE MESSENGER (15)
D: Oren Moverman
Oscilloscope (Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee & Zach
Miller)
US 2009
113 mins
Drama/War
W: Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
DP: Bobby Bukowski
Ed: Alexander Hall
Mus: Nathan Larson
Ben Foster (Sgt. Will Montgomery), Woody
Harrelson(Capt. Tony Stone), Samantha Morton(Olivia Pitterson), Steve Buscemi (Dale Martin), Jena Malone (Kelly)
A powerful and emotional drama, solely focused on the war
at home, as Ben Foster & Woody Harrelson play US army messengers, notifying the Next Of Kin about the loss of their loved ones. The most powerful scenes are the cinematic equivalent of a
punch to the gut and the acting is simply excellent, especially from Harrelson and Samantha Morton, who plays a widow struggling to cope with the grief following the death of her
husband.
Unfortunately, the narrative goes in a different direction
shortly after the hour mark but it's still a powerful, albeit depressing movie and an important look at the damage war does to everybody and not only serving on the frontline.
7/10
