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Men In Black 3

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Bel Ami

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A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

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Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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The Messenger (Film)

by Andrew Moraitis | November 08, 2010 15:23 | Edited November 08, 2010 16:24

With deftly drawn characters and beautifully understated performances, this engaging drama is tremendously moving.

I'm Not There writer Oren Moverman makes a superb directorial debut with the fine Iraq War drama, The Messenger. A deeply moving account of grief and duty, Moverman's film is a work of uncommon dignity and tremendous compassion.

 

Ben Foster gives a career-best turn as Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery, an injured Iraq War veteran transferred to the Casualty Notification Unit for the final months of his enlistment. Partnered with the wry Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), Will is tasked with notifying the next of kin of fallen soldiers, but falls for one soldier's wife, Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton).

 

For all its potential grandstanding, Moverman's film is a work of quiet, tense control, movingly etching its characters' anguish with unexpected, powerful detail. Moverman and co-writer Alessandro Camon's screenplay earned a well deserved Oscar nomination, and uses simple, though unexpected writing to convey the story's growing complexity and pain. Moverman is also extremely well served by his other collaborators, especially Bobby Bukowski's cinematography, which has a precise, delicate simplicity, and Alexander Hall's measured editing, which evokes a simple, affecting mood for the film.

 

Foster (3:10 To Yuma) is deeply moving as the uncertain, decent Montgomery, subtly portraying his damaged character's confusion and anguish. Harrelson is also well cast as the irascible, but principled careerist. Giving the most understated performance of his career, the Oscar-nominated actor delivers the film's sensitive humour with wry humanity and wit. Morton is capable of extraordinarily forceful performances (In America, Control), but her minimalist, unpretentious work here is some of her best acting to date. She subtly expresses Olivia's conflicted feelings over her husband and his life in the military, giving an involving, textured performance.

 

A subtle, unexpected triumph for Moverman, The Messenger is a beautifully performed, highly engaging human drama.