Andres-Camara The movie is long. It repeats too much. To see how it affects the character, you do not need to see it so many times. It is a film that if it were shorter would win many points.The actors are very good, but Harrelson is a very good actor, that is not discovering anything new.At least, do not waste time in sex, that's to be grateful. It does well. No need to see what to know what will happen.Photography does not help much. It is not a pretty photograph. It is austere without more.The director, directs characters, but does not see that there is a film left. The plans are basic. It does not place the camera well. He does not know how to narrate with her. It does not bore but it stagnates.It lets itself be seen.

g-bodyl The Messenger is an endearing film with themes regarding the psychological aspects of war. One thing to note is this is not a war film. There are no battles and not one scene is located in Iraq. However, there is this one powerful scene that has war being described in monologue. Another thing to note is the film is very painful to watch and the reactions from the loved ones of the deceased are normal reactions and they are quite emotional. The film is a small film, but it is a very powerful film. This film is about a staff sergeant named Will Montgomery who just returned from overseas to recover from injuries. He is assigned as a casualty notification officer paired with the strict Captain Stone. He is told the rules of how to do this job, but the question of ethics come into play thanks to a newly-formed widow, Olivia. The acting is very strong. Woody Harrelson is one of my favorite actors and he can do no wrong in my book. His portrayal as the recovering alcoholic Tony Stone is just incredibly powerful. Ben Foster also delivers a career-best performance as the lonely soldier attracted to Samantha Morton's character, Olivia. Morton did an excellent job as well. Overall, The Messenger is a movie that shows what happens during the home aspect of the war and just how hard it is to notify loved ones of their soldier's death. It's a moving portrayal of how two men attempt to keep their moral up and be as strong-willed as possible. That makes it even harder to watch the film. The realism of this movie is quite extraordinary. A small film, but a powerful film nonetheless. I rate this film 9/10.

med_1978 Having read the reviews here and the DVD cover, I rented it a few days ago and watched it last night.I expected more emotional depth than what was displayed here, the film is decently acted by the stars but the characters I found mostly unlikeable with the exception of Samantha Morton's. I found Woody Harrelson's character totally shallow and his idea of investing his job with no emotion whatsoever is ridiculous. If this is factual then the US Army needs to rethink its approach. Rather than sending these stone faced men to notify the families and let them know they will later by visited by another officer who will help them through it, they should send grief counselling officers instead. To notify families in such a detached and wooden fashion is in poor taste when they are grief stricken and need a more sympathetic approach.Also the fact that a Casualty notification officer would be thrown in with no training at all, and just given a short briefing for such an important role is also beyond belief. If he screws it up this will reflect very badly on the US Army ! I found the acting of Steve Buscemi in the initial scene where he is notified of his sons death totally over the top and contrived.The best scene in the entire movie by far is the wonderfully acted sequence in which Ben Foster tries to get it on with Samantha Morton and she tells him she can't, and proceeds to tell him how she felt about her husband when they first met and how her feelings towards him changed and how he was changed by the war etc. The developing relationship Between Ben Foster & Samantha Morton was really the only thing that kept me watching up until the end and I must admit I was relieved to see the final credit roll.If asked I would recommend it only if you have nothing better to do or watch, although this film was well acted it was definitely not worth the high praise many here have heaped on it.I would give it 6/10 at best.

Sindre Kaspersen Israeli screenwriter, former journalist and director Oren Moverman's feature film debut which he co-wrote with Italian-born writer and producer Alessandro Camon, premiered at the 25th Sundance Film Festival in 2009 and was screened In competition at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival in 2009. It was shot on various locations in New Jersey, USA and is an American production which was produced by American producers Lawrence Inglee, Mark Gordon and Zach Miller. It tells the story about U.S. Staff sergeant Will Montgomery who returns to USA after being injured in Iraq. Back home Will contacts his girlfriend Kelly who he learns is engaged to another man and tries to re-establish their relationship, but with some months left of his enlistment Will is assigned to the Casualty notification services by the U.S. Army. There he is introduced to his partner Tony Stone, a strict and far more experienced Captain who he will be spending the next months with both on and off-duty. Captain Tony Stone initiates him in the process, but with no former experience in going from door to door informing fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters that one or more of their family members have lost their lives or been seriously injured in the war, this emotionally demanding task becomes life altering for Will and all of the sudden he finds himself breaking one of the pivotal rules by getting emotionally involved with a recently widowed single mother named Olivia Pitterson. Finely and engagingly directed by Israeli filmmaker Oren Moverman, this humane and finely paced directorial debut which is narrated from the point of view of the two main characters, draws a profoundly affective portrayal of the evolving professional and private relationship between two men of different age and rank in the U.S. Army. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, fine cinematography by American cinematographer Bobby Bukowski and poignant dialog, this character-driven story which examines themes like friendship, interpersonal relations, human compassion, war, loss and ethics, depicts two incisive and converging studies of character and contains a good score by American composer Nathan Larson. This invigorating psychological drama about the hardships two casualty notification officers faces in their everyday life while having to tell families that their loved ones has died and witness their painful reactions without being allowed to console them, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, the exceptional acting performances by American actor Woody Harrelson, American actor Ben Foster and supporting acting performance by English actress Samantha Morton. A remarkably well-written and memorable war film which gained, among other awards, the Silver Bear for Best Script Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon and the Peace Film Award at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival in 2009, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson at the 25th Independent Spirit Awards in 2009 and the SDFCS Award for Best Supporting Actress Samantha Morton at the 14th San Diego Film Critics Society Awards in 2009.