RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / The Messenger
The Messenger

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Showtimes & Tickets
  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Messenger (2009)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
90 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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,... 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, Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival.

Featuring tour-de-force performances from Foster, Harrelson and Morton, and a brilliant directorial debut by Moverman, THE MESSENGER brings us into the inner lives of these outwardly steely heroes to reveal their fragility with compassion and dignity. --© Oscilloscope
[More]

Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone

Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker, Steve Buscemi

Director: Oren Moverman

Director: Oren Moverman
Screenwriter: Oren Moverman, Alessandro Camon
Producer: Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller
Composer: Nathan Larson
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 12

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for The Messenger

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
10/08/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

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.

Full Review Source: Fort Bend Sun | comment Comment
11/22/09
Danny Minton
Danny Minton
Fort Bend Sun

Foster leaves you hoping that Will finds his way home.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/20/09
Betsy Sharkey
Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It brings home the horror of the Iraq war in a way that much of our TV news media have failed to do.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
11/20/09
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

One of the rare movies that communicates honestly and artfully about the real casualties of war: the surviving combatants.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
11/20/09
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

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.

Full Review Source: Movie Retriever | comment Comment
11/20/09
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
Movie Retriever

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.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
11/20/09
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
11/20/09
Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune

The Messenger is a privileged glimpse into people's private pain, a drama shot with the simplicity and immediacy of a documentary.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
11/19/09
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

This is a poignant war movie, but it's also a buddy movie with a difference, one that's both funny and bleak.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/19/09
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

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.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
11/19/09
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

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.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
11/19/09
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

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.

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
11/19/09
Shaula Clark
Shaula Clark
Boston Phoenix

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/19/09
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A universally relatable drama instead of just another story about Iraq.

Full Review Source: Washington City Paper | comment Comment
11/18/09
Tricia Olszewski
Tricia Olszewski
Washington City Paper

This character piece may be for the arthouse, but the artistry has a gaping wound, large enough to allow credulity to seep out.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
11/17/09
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Poignant and insightful.

Full Review Source: SSG Syndicate | comment Comment
11/16/09
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
SSG Syndicate

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.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
11/16/09
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
New York Magazine

A shoddy, shouty bore. A piece of flummery.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
11/15/09
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
New York Post

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.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
11/14/09
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Messenger

November 12, 2009: Critics Consensus: 2012 Isn't Quite Earth-Shaking
This week at the movies, we've got a global catastrophe (2012, starring John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor) and some rock 'n' roll rebellion (Pirate Radio, starring Philip S.... More...

October 25, 2009: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

arrow arrow Show more Show less

— The Descent: Part 2 04/12

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
4
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
102
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
  • McTeigue Says Superman Is "In a Weird Place" Source: MTV
204
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
153
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
74
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
51
  • Five Favorite Films with Werner Herzog
50
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
31
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
19
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
16
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
41
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Messenger at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.