'The Messenger'Review: 4.5/5
Who would imagine the job of the U.S. Army casualty notification officer would consist of so many rules and regulations? Don't touch the NOK (next of kin), don't inform anybody else except the NOK, be on duty 24 hours a day, and beware of the beeper; it's the high-pitched ring of grief delivery. Writer and director Oren Moverman understands these statutes having served in the Israeli Army earlier in his life, and wholly details the heart-wrenching duty the film's primary characters face on a daily basis. These characters, played impeccably by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson in Oscar-worthy performances, are devoted to their job, and often do it well despite their rabid insecurities and overwhelming anxiety (Harrelson's Tony Stone is a recovering alcoholic who rarely sleeps, and Foster's Will Montgomery suffers from an extreme case of PTSD and survivor guilt).
To elaborate, Montgomery is a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who's just recently returned to the states and is considered by many of his peers to be a 'hero' for his service in Iraq. He's partnered with Tony Stone as a rookie member of the Army's Casualty Notification service. Preferring to woo his former girlfriend (Jena Malone, also great), Montgomery frowns at the idea of "grief counseling" until he finds an unusual connection with Olivia (Samantha Morton), a poor widow with a young son. What unfolds is an abnormally upsetting, quietly humorous portrayal of grown men without any family, who build a kind of understated brotherhood out of diffidence and subdued depression. Don't expect any buddy-film cliches here. This one aims for the jugular.
Shot by Bobby Bukowski with a verite'-like grittiness comparable to a heavily sedated ' Jason Bourne' adventure, the film is rendered with a visual sense of authenticity, reminding the spectator that this job is all too real. Moverman knows this, and shows a genuine empathy for his despondent subjects in one of the year's best films.
No comments:
Post a Comment