Will Montgomery (Ben Fosters), a soldier returning recently from Iraq due to an injury is reassigned at the Casualty Notification Unit to complete his remaining three months of service in the army. Craftily nicknamed Angels of Death Squadron, Montgomery is tasked to deliver the dreaded news of soldiers dying in battle within 24 hours to their families. Aiding him to tackle the grim task requiring guts is Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), a recovering alcoholic and seasoned courier of devastating news. Stone, with years of experience, has mastered how to psychologically endure his assignment by adhering to a set of rigid rules that he later on conveys with his apprentice.
Every knock on the door opening to a shocked and distraught kin evokes a horrifying and heartbreaking experience not only for the actors but the audience as well. The emotionally tattered Montgomery from a girlfriend (Malone) turning her back on him, encounters a young widowed mother Olivia (Samantha Morton) during one of his assignments. Violating the set rules, he eventually falls for her in a stalker-like obsession.
Amazingly, “The Messenger” is the directing debut for Israeli born writer turned filmmaker Oren Moverman. He was the right fit for the job with his on-hand experience of spending four years in the Israeli army as an infantry soldier in a country perpetuated by war as well.
Though the film doesn’t offer much of a plot, the focus on the characters were exquisite bringing into focus their attitudes coupled by a textured camerawork and emotionally moving underscore. Forester and Harrelson both gave the best performances of their careers by far, giving remarkable life to unsuspecting characters. If the film ended up in the hands of the wrong actors, it wouldn’t be as great and influential as it is now.
Forester expertly portrays a man who’s precariously on the edge while Harrelson evokes a fragile element to the steeliness of Tony, using humour to cover the man’s internal sufferings. Morton steps up for her role providing viewers a glimpse of a grieving survivor.
“The Messenger” impresses with its grown-up approach to bereavement and heroism. Death is viewed straight-on without any efforts to simplify it but rather opted to focus on reality. Strong attention to detail was the key to lure audience hearts to the emotions displayed in the film as it takes us to the eyes and mind of the characters.
Unlike most of its predecessors, “The Messenger” was the first to focus on the reality behind the unbearable tragedies caused by the war. Instead it stands out among the rest as a war movie delivering its message raw and unfiltered as can be. Never had I encountered a film where all I can give is praises, but this movie is the exception as it deserves much more than my words can say. What better way to understand it than to experience it for yourselves firsthand.
