If a film can affect me on an honest, emotional level, I am considerably less interested in any flaws it might have. Quite often, especially with smaller films, I am a writing and acting first, stylish direction second kind of guy. THE MESSENGER is this kind of film. It lacks artistic directorial elements and could use tightening in spots. But it is also one of the best acted films I've seen this year, and one of the most emotionally powerful.
Why Ben Foster's name isn't more firmly in the conversation for the Best Actor race is beyond me. There are many films from 2009 that I have yet to see, but of those I've seen thus far, his is my favorite male lead acting performance. Woody Harrelson does seem to be getting buzz for his supporting performance in the film, and Amy Morton continues to be one of my favorite actresses for her work here. All three deserve Oscar nominations. So does the screenplay. But I digress.
Foster plays Army Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery, an Iraq War vet assigned to complete the final three months of his tour on "bereavement notification" duty. Simply put, he's the guy who shows up at your door if your loved one has been killed in combat. He's the one you don't want to see, the grim reaper in a pressed military uniform.
Montgomery is not happy about this detail, not after having seen real combat. But this is how he will play out his time in the Army, at least for now. He was wounded in Iraq and declared a hero. But his eye and leg injuries seem to be less of an impairment than what is most likely post-traumatic stress disorder. And now, he must spend his days delivering that trauma to civilians.
To make matters worse for Montgomery, he is to follow a strict script. This is protocol, and protocol is enforced by Captain Tony Stone (Harrelson), a recovering alcoholic who served two tours during the early 90s conflicts under the first President Bush. Never having seen any actual combat, Stone is even more stiff and militaristic than Montgomery. Apparently, he has spent a good deal of time on bereavement notification duty and has to remind himself and others that he is still a soldier.
Sticking to the script means not showing any human emotion toward the "NOK" (next of kin) the soldiers encounter. The memorized script includes a statement of empathy: "I'm sorry for your tragic loss," or something to that effect. But Montgomery is cautioned not to touch or hug. Get in and get out. Stone is good at this, but Montgomery is not. It's clear that he wishes the job could be completed with a little more compassion than that.
Both Montgomery and Stone are ticking time bombs. The audience waits to see how long it will be before Montgomery cannot complete his job assignment was assigned, and there is also the expectation that Stone is all artifice, a breath away from another alcoholic beverage and a genuine mess under the surface. Indeed, both of these things come to pass.
How would you respond if men like Montgomery and Stone came to your door? THE MESSENGER explores a believable range of reactions. Some simply won't believe the news. Others get angry. Steve Buscemi is believable to his core as an angry father who spits on the men and calls them cowards. Why aren't you over there dying? He demands an answer. Samantha Morton's newly-widowed Olivia poses an even more stunning, though subtle response. Thank you, she says, shaking their hands. It must be hard for you to deliver this kind of news.
For reasons unexplained (as they should be), Montgomery feels a connection to Olivia and her son. He begins to defy orders and pops up in her life to check up on her and help her with odd jobs. He half-hides behind a tree at her husband's burial. What is clear is that starting something with her would be inappropriate, but it is hard for him to help it. These scenes are played with amazing depth and quiet by Foster and Morton. Foster, in particular, is a revelation. All of his macho, bad-ass bravado displayed in films such as "3:10 to Yuma" are stripped away here. The guy who typically demands attention by mouthing off is all but completely silent. In one of his best scenes, he says nothing. Morton talks at her kitchen counter, stealing sips of coffee. Foster listens, struggling to know what to do with his hands, calculating the personal space between them.
Eventually, Montgomery's need to be compassionate spills over into his treatment of other families when delivering news and, before the film is over, even Stone is made to cave. Scenes played between Foster and Harrelson when the men are out of uniform are significant: two men who are the same but so different, trying to bond. Harrelson, who is always good, gets the transformation down here. His character takes a true journey in this film, changes to his core from beginning to end. A man who shows only strength and control at the start is a humbled, flawed survivor at the end. His control over Montgomery evolves into awe and respect for him.
If the film has a flaw, it's that first-time director Owen Moverman, who also co-wrote the script, has a bit of trouble keeping everything tied together at the end, and the film almost starts to devolve into a buddy picture before it ends on a beautiful, true note. His direction is generic, and maybe that's just as well. The star here is the script, and no flourishes distract from that. And, as I've said a million times, if you've got the right actors, you can cover up those weaknesses.
I did not feel emotionally manipulated by THE MESSENGER. Just genuinely moved. Each scene involving a family receiving notification about their lost loved one broke my heart anew. Nothing ever felt forced or melodramatic. Is this the war film of the year? No, simply because "The Hurt Locker" had the strong direction to match a great script and acting. But it's tough to even compare that film with THE MESSENGER, a film that is more of a chamber piece about the sad humanity of those of us left in America, slowly being divided into the two camps of those of us who have been affected by this war and those of us who have not.
No one should ever have to understand what it feels like to get that knock on the door, but THE MESSENGER brings needed understanding and empathy to that feeling. It is a fantastic film.
3.5 out of 4
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