Movie with Abe: The Messenger

The Messenger
Directed by Oren Moverman
Released November 13, 2009

Dealing with tragedy is never an easy thing, and showcasing that is just as difficult. “The Messenger” tackles it head-on by following two soldiers whose lives have already been complicated and affected by their war experiences abroad, and whose daily dose of heartbreak increases exponentially when they are tasked with informing next of kin that their family members have given their lives in the service of their country. That’s never something anyone wants to hear, and this film does of an extraordinary job of showing just how impossible both sides of the situation are.

“The Messenger” is an incredibly intimate film, which spotlights only three main characters, and takes the soldiers right into the homes of unsuspecting family members about to receive devastating, life-changing news from people they’ve never met and who they’ll likely never see again. There’s something about that intimacy which feels invasive and intrusive, and that’s conveyed exceedingly well by the discomfort on the faces of those charged with delivering the news. It’s easy to sympathize with both parties, and there’s a magnificent moment in the film where a killed soldier’s wife sees the men coming and knows what they’re about to say and pre-empts them by shaking their hands and saying, “I know this can’t be easy for you either.” The film is just as much about the messengers as it is about the people whose lives they touch and the messages they must deliver.

The sympathetic and intimate nature of the characters is due to a strong script and deft direction by first-time filmmaker Oren Moverman, but it’s due mostly to the skilled actors in their roles. The steely-eyed Ben Foster branches out from playing creepy villains (“Hostage,” “3:10 to Yuma”), and pulls together a staggering composite of a someone who likes living a life of solitude but stills yearns to make human connections. Playing off of him is Woody Harrelson, who gets serious and nostalgic as an alcoholic soldier who’s been doing this for way too long and become all too jaded and accustomed to it. Foster and Harrelson make for an unexpected and exceptional pair, and their conversations about life, women, and war feel searingly real. The people they meet in their line of work make for fascinating subjects of interaction, and a small role by Steve Buscemi as the father of a deceased soldier is particularly poignant. The always stellar Samantha Morton gives the film a much-needed life-affirming perspective, and her blasé reaction to her husband’s death and her subsequent bonding with Foster’s character is absolutely enthralling and engaging. There’s not very far to physically go in “The Messenger,” but there’s a deeply ingrained notion throughout the whole film that these men have been a lot of places, and that they carry around the weight of what they’ve seen and done with them every day. The film doesn’t take place abroad, but in some moments, it’s just as quietly momentous and moving as “The Hurt Locker.” Invoking that kind of intensity and emotion is an awe-inspiring feat, and that’s something this film does spectacularly.

B+

Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe. It’s a bit early to be able to accurately predict the eventual Oscar nominees, but around this time, plenty of likely contenders are being released. I’ll be looking every Wednesday at the awards chances for all of the films released the previous week. Until I begin my official predictions, I’ll be adding and removing contenders as their popularity, buzz, or reviews rise and fall. Chime in with your thoughts on the Oscar chances for these films in the comments section.

Fantastic Mr. Fox
This inventive film from director Wes Anderson, previously nominated for penning “The Royal Tenenbaums” is a strong contender in the Best Animated Feature category. The expansion of the field of nominees to five is helpful, but also problematic because there are more films (20) vying for a nomination. The Roald Dahl adaptation certainly stands out from the competition due to its stop-motion animation and impressive reviews, and I think it stands a great chance.

The Messenger
This independent drama has three talented performers in its cast who might be able to earn nominations. Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly thinks so, placing them as alternates for his predictions. Woody Harrelson, who also headlined “Zombieland” earlier this fall, was nominated for playing Larry Flynt in 1996. Ben Foster hasn’t yet earned much awards attention, but his role in “3:10 to Yuma” a few years ago earned him positive mentions and this could be his true breakout part. Samantha Morton is a two-time nominee, for “Sweet and Lowdown” and “In America,” and in the latter case she came out of nowhere at the very end of the race after predictors all but gave up on her chances. Ultimately, I think the film is too small, but in the emptier supporting categories, it may have a shot.

2012
This film definitely isn’t going to be winning any awards for its storyline or script, but the aesthetic elements are a different story. It’s not as if it will contend for art direction or cinematography, but it could be rewarded for its sound and sound editing. The best chance it has is for Best Visual Effects, which is what most of the production budget likely went into, but there are plenty of other films, like “Watchmen,” “Star Trek,” and “District 9” that could push it out.

Pirate Radio
This British film didn’t receive overwhelmingly supportive reviews, despite its prestigious cast, which includes past winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, past nominee Kenneth Branagh, and Golden Globe winner Bill Nighy. The first film from director Richard Curtis, “Love Actually,” didn’t score any Oscar nominations despite being receiving a Golden Globe mention for Best Screenplay, and this one doesn’t seem as popular. Writer-director Richard Curtis was nominated in 1994 for writing “Four Wedding and a Funeral,” but that film was also up for Best Picture, while this one just isn’t strong enough to make the cut.

Independent releases from this week like Uncertainty, Dare, and Women in Trouble won’t make it onto Oscar voters’ radar, and documentaries Oh My God, Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon, and William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe shouldn’t kick up much dirt either..

I’ll be skipping next week for Thanksgiving to make way for Golden Globe predictions, but be sure to come back the following Wednesday for a look at the next two Fridays’ theatrical releases and their Oscar chances. And remember to offer your thoughts on the chances for these films in the comments!