Don’t Shoot “The Messenger”

No introductions, stick to the script, and above all else no physical contact with the next of kin. Assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service, war hero Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) must in many ways carry out a far more painful mission in his last three months of active duty than anything he’s experienced on the front lines. Under the command of by the book Capt. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), Will must deliver bad news to unsuspecting families of fallen soldiers, often times bearing the brunt of their grief and rage.

Right out of the gate we see just how difficult this new assignment proves to be. A father (played by the always compelling Steve Buscemi) verbally berates Will after being told of his son’s untimely death. Trying to make sense of his loss, he angrily reproaches Will calling him a coward for not being on the front lines himself; spitting in his face. The scene both shocks and unsettles, unleashing a confusing visceral reaction, almost daring the audience to make sense of an increasingly senseless reality. War is tough, people die, but it’s only when confronted with it first hand that we truly understand what’s at stake.

Oren Moverman, previously credited along with Todd Haynes for writing the inspired Bob Dylan bio-pic “I’m Not There” makes his directorial debut in “The Messenger” while also lending a hand in the screenplay. Born and bred in Israel, Moverman served four years in the Israeli infantry, an experience that no doubt helped shape the complex camaraderie between Sgt. Will Montgomery and his CO, Capt. Tony Stone. Foster plays Will as a quiet, introspective young man haunted by the war; seeing only those he failed and not those he saved. While Harrelson plays the rakish Tony Stone as somewhat of a lost soul, who is hell bent on following orders as a means of fighting off the litany of demons that rack his existence. “The Messenger” is ultimately a movie about the messy private lives of soldiers and their families, translating a bare bones assessment of the silent guilt felt by those who come back, as well as the uneasy bonds they share with those who didn’t.

Despite playing more like a collection of heart wrenching vignettes rather than an over arching story, the film’s devotion to its subject matter, as well as the sheer force of its performances brings this gritty character study to life. In a world full of 24 hour news cycles and talking heads, the film pulls back the veil of empty stats to reveal the stark truth of what it really means to be a casualty of war. In a country that has often been numbed by a barrage of never ending war coverage “The Messenger” promises to bring perspective as well as insight.