Another dark, gloomy drama about home life during wartime, this film features some seriously great performances and a theme that will resonate powerfully with thoughtful audiences.
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10/08/09
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The Messenger (2009)
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Reviews Counted:51
Fresh:46
Rotten:5
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: A dark but timely subject is handled deftly by writer/directer Owen Moverman and superbly acted by Woody Harrleson and Ben Foster.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Co-written by Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon, THE MESSENGER is a powerful and tender story about a returned war hero making his first steps toward a normal life. In his first leading role,... [More]
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
Director: Oren Moverman
Reviews for The Messenger
There is a complexity to the story and characters that I want more insight on and I really believe that the movie might grow on me with a repeat viewing.
11/22/09
Foster leaves you hoping that Will finds his way home.
11/20/09
Top CriticIt brings home the horror of the Iraq war in a way that much of our TV news media have failed to do.
11/20/09
One of the rare movies that communicates honestly and artfully about the real casualties of war: the surviving combatants.
11/20/09
A stunning debut, an effective, expertly-made and performed drama about the common human ability to deal with tragedy and loss in unique, unpredictable ways.
11/20/09
Don't call it a comeback because Woody Harrelson never went away! This film that will remind everyone how good of an actor he is.
11/20/09
Some jobs are dirtier than others, and after seeing director and co-writer Oren Moverman’s beautifully acted new film The Messenger, you’ll be better acquainted with some of the most grueling work a human being can be called upon to perform.
11/20/09
The Messenger is a privileged glimpse into people's private pain, a drama shot with the simplicity and immediacy of a documentary.
11/19/09
This is a poignant war movie, but it's also a buddy movie with a difference, one that's both funny and bleak.
11/19/09
The scenes are rendered by director Oren Moverman with an authenticity and realism that makes them as harrowing and heartrending as they deserve to be.
11/19/09
One of the most powerful and moving films about the human cost of the Afghan-Iraq war and about those of war in general to appear in years.
11/19/09
Director Oren Moverman’s feature-length debut is a little like The Hurt Locker in the way it uncomfortably probes a little-known military organelle.
11/19/09
The Messenger knows that even if it tells a tearjerking story, it doesn't have to be a tearjerker. In fact, when a sad story tries too hard, it can be fatal.
11/19/09
Top CriticA universally relatable drama instead of just another story about Iraq.
11/18/09
This character piece may be for the arthouse, but the artistry has a gaping wound, large enough to allow credulity to seep out.
11/17/09
Poignant and insightful.
11/16/09
I’m not sure how Morton made sense of her character’s ebbs and flows, but I never doubted her. She’s a mariner in uncharted seas of emotion.
11/16/09
A shoddy, shouty bore. A piece of flummery.
11/15/09
A fine bookend to Katheryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, showing another side of how the war at home can be just as rigorous as the one abroad.
11/14/09
Latest News for The Messenger
November 12, 2009:
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October 25, 2009:
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