The Messenger at Criticker.com (2025)

Excellent drama that movingly portrays and contrasts different versions of the grieving process to quite stunning effect. Both Foster and Harrelson give award-calibre performances, and they are surrounded by a cast who provide great cameos, especially Buscemi as a grief stricken father; his scenes are almost unbearably wrenching. Screenplay is also exceptional, mixing intense drama with unexpected gallows humour. A quiet, reflective drama which grows with consideration and contemplation.

Arguably the most overlooked film of 2009. It dives into some of the most emotionally painful subject matter, but stays away from being incredibly heavy handed. Also stayed away from really being a pro- or anti-war film which I respect considerably. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson were awesome together, and I give mad props to all the unheralded actors that gave strong performances of grieving families. A rather weird/lame romance angle hinders it slightly, but overall it's a gem of a film.

Excellent war drama that shows not soldiers falling in battle but the reactions of next of kin back home. Grief is rightly portrayed as unbearable and not romanticized like in Departures. First-time director Moverman obviously came from writing; it is script-oriented and his writing is ace, but it's also very well shot and played. From the leads to minor roles of grief-stricken "NoK"s, acting is formidable. For better or worse the acting stretches the drama against a subtle and restrained text.

Truly one of the hardest films you can possibly watch in terms of subject matter. The cast here is absolutely superb, even the actors for the bit parts are completely and utterly stellar. The job of informing families that their loved ones have died in the course of duty must be one of the toughest jobs on the planet and this film captures it completely. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson manage to portray the tension and odd friendship of their relationship perfectly. Essential viewing in my book.

Incredible performances from Foster and especially Harrelson, but they're unfortunately thrown into a plot that feels nothing more than a series of emotional vignettes. Had there been more substance, it could have been a powerful character study.

Impeccable acting in this thought-provoking film debut by Moverman.

The movie's strong suit is its feel of authenticity. You get a clear grasp of what it takes to perform this thankless job, and Harrelson and Foster are both excellent. Unfortunately, it is slightly hampered by the uninteresting romantic subplot.

Oren Moverman is unquestionably the best writer in Hollywood. To have a brilliant cast including Foster, Harrelson, and Morton as a vehicle for his craft is an exceptional gift to the world of cinema. The writing and acting is so stunning that the subject is almost secondary, but it's a unique, poignant, heartbreaking, and fascinating story that needed to be told. While it may not be overtly anti- or pro- war, it is surely anti-exploitation of adolescents in war, which is almost never discussed.

A damn good film. Whether a person falls in battle or dies of natural cause, informing their loved ones is never an easy task. Moverman's characters are carefully fleshed out and earnestly portrayed, every scene seems to enhance their individuality. Two great films have been made about the Iraq War: "The Hurt Locker" is one of them, "The Messenger" is another.

Very Good. This not a war movie but shows the collateral damage on the home front in the US's independence crusade. The film treads a thin line successfully showing the damage and pain without being preachy or melodramatic. Ben Foster seems to improve with every film and Woody Harrelson's at the top of his game here, excellent performances, great story, pace and direction. Highly recommended.

Great film and directorial debut. Samantha Morton is absolutely stunning as the confused Olivia.

Ben Foster is great in every movie he takes part in and this one i no exception.. The movie was good too, good pacing and direction. The only problems were the zoom in/outs during the long takes which just made me want to cry, but still, the performances saved the day.

Has its moments of greatness but falls a little flat in the plot department. But this is nevertheless an interesting, often moving, and well-acted soldier drama. A commendable effort by first-time director Oren Moverman.

Foster, Harrelson, and Morton all do a terrific job, though the film is possibly hindered by the fact that Foster's protagonist isn't made to be very likable for some reason, which is unfortunate, because the actor is usually so charismatic in any role. As his chemistry with Harrelson grows though, the film gets better.

A nice look at a part of war that is seldom, if ever, shown and the toll it takes on the men who have that duty. Personally I would have like the films last 40 or so minutes to be moved up earlier and expanded a bit as the first hour is a bit draggy, and the ending needs a tweek but not a bad film

The true strengths of this film lie in the emotionally wrenching and well-directed scenes of bad news delivery. Ben Foster and especially Woody Harrelson both shine in their roles. However, the film is a bit bogged down by the unfocused and undeveloped romance between two unlikely people. The cinematography, while definitely going for realism, is actually pretty shoddy.

I saw it on a whim only because my local theater didn't have Up in the Air or Precious yet, but it was actually pretty good - interesting subject matter, strong performances. 2009 seems to be the year we're finally getting Iraq War movies that are neither turgid, preachy bores nor jingoistic farce.

It's a bit uneven with the pacing, but for me it still worked pretty well on the whole drama department. There are good buddy times thrown in there, as well, the movie held together by the main actors, though I've got to push the importance on Woody Harrelson over Ben Foster. I just feel like Foster wasn't given enough material to work with, though his story of his trauma is pretty gut-wrenching.

The plot in the second half is not exactly groundbreaking, and Samantha Morton seems weirdly out of place for some reason. But it has a great, melancholy tone and the actors are terrific, and it's just really beautiful and I liked it a lot.

The grim but apropos subject of loss on the frontlines being felt on the homefront is handled dexterously in this intimate, resonating character piece by Moverman and superbly acted not only by its subtly powerful principal cast but quite an exceptional amount of hard-hitting small roles.

81.000

Effective little drama that gives a glimpse of how historians must think about the interaction between institutions and humans.

This one was able to make me cry up. Both Foster and Harrelson did a great job, in a story about a job you would never think about.

A good movie that could have been great if it had a little more balance. Harrelson is terrific.

* Casting, Acting : 9* Script : 9* Directing, Aura : 8* Ease of Viewing : 8* Naked Eye : 8

I liked it. I found the rules and procedures that they had to follow when breaking the horrible news to people really fascinating. And it was horrible. Some very emotional scenes. I particularly liked the performance from Steve Buscemi as one of the next of kin. Equally great were Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson in the lead roles. On the other hand, the general plot was a bit lacking. And I found myself less interested during the second half. Still, I think it's worth a watch.

This is a well made and acted movie. Both Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster give excellent performances in this film. The script is good, the characters are believable.

A strong movie. Thus, a bit hard to watch at times actually. It's well done.

Strong, charracter-driven melodrama with some great acting. Although I enjoy Harrelson doing comic roles, I wish I saw more of him in serious films. Story is good, except for a weak romance subplot, which dragged film a bit down in my eyes. Also, a word of warning: _The Messenger_ must have highest heart-breaking scenes per minute ratio is recent film history.

Initially confronting but the 2nd half and particularly the ending leaves a lot to be desired. They built up so much and let it fade away.

80.750

So bungled up with fashionable ambivalence about the Iraq War that every single behavioral detail is not just prejudicial but wrong.

Superbly written and the true highlight here is the striking performance by Woody Harrelson who gives his all in this genuine tale of solace. Wasn't so keen on the romantic sub plot. Fun fact: They're getting staff to do the reviews in the Blockbuster magazine and I was assigned this one. Huzzah.

"These largely self-contained vignettes are harrowing, the source of a font of raw emotional release that could never be otherwise captured except through a presumably invasive documentary process." - Ryan Stewart

Not an easy film to watch, but the acting performances are truly first rate. I can't recall having ever seen Harrelson quite this good in any film before.

Between this, Hurt Locker, and Generation Kill, film in 2009 has really done an amazing job of presenting the complexities of our current war situations.

good

The main problem in the Messenger lies in the films juxtoposition between the engrossing scenes of inflicting despair on strangers and the mundane, sociopathic personal lives of the soldiers outside of their job. The frequent moments of casualty notification are each uniquely heart-rending and stand on their own, without necessitating the need for information about the men whose job it is to inform the families, but we get two hours of stereotyped alcoholic soldiers and PTSD cliches anyways.

Ben Foster is bound to do something incredible in the near future - I can feel it. His intensity and passion is there in every role he does, and this is no exception. The entire cast, and especially the NOK, are fantastic. There are some truly heart-breaking scenes.

A solid film that captures the consequences of war from a different perspective. The acting is strong and it's filled with very moving moments, but fails to coalesce them all together well enough. As it progresses the focus gets wider but not enough is done to adequately expand on the characters and situations enough to justify the change in tone. Still, the pieces are worthwhile.

message 1: I recommend you see this! message 2: Buscemi steals it with his brief brilliant performance.

First-time director Moverman takes on one of the darkest and most unseen aspects of war and treats it with skillful respect and dignity, thanks largely to outstanding performances by the leads.

Interesting story carried by the sublime performances of Foster and Harrelson. Manages to stay out of the over-the-top melodrama section.

The entire cast shines in yet another anti-war film this year that actually works. Following in the footsteps of 'The Hurt Locker,' "The Messenger" is a heartbreaking war film that tells of the other side of the coin--the men telling the families of their fallen loved ones. While sometimes a bit melodramatic, "The Messenger" is more often than not a touching and authentic film from beginning to end. I'm happy to see Woody Harrelson score an Oscar nomination for his work here.

Unique and passionate. Harrelson is brilliant.

Interesting story, strong performances, weak romantic subplot.

A well-made film with fantastic acting, but little beneath the surface.

Good film.

Its overly contrived nature kind of undermines the pain and emotional free fall the main actors are occasionally able to evoke -- at least when they aren't yoked with the whole "You've got to follow protocol" "Goddammit, they're HUMAN" schtick.

Three months from the finish of his tour of duty, a wounded Iraq War vet gets assigned on the home front to the Casualty Notification Team, a recipe for overacting. A muted Morton almost alone avoids the pitfall.