November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

Review: The Messenger (Oscilloscope Laboratories; in theaters November 13)

The Worst News of All

November-December 2009
by Anthony Kaufman 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

The war in Iraq may be largely over, but as this powerful new drama shows, the conflict remains an open wound. The Messenger follows two soldiers, a young Iraqi war hero (Ben Foster) and a brazen, alcoholic Desert Storm veteran (Woody Harrelson, in a stunning career-best performance). Together, they work for the Casualty Notification Office, delivering the tragic news of fallen soldiers to their next of kin. The gut-wrenching notification scenes are dispersed throughout the story, each one exploding the film open with wails of pain and fury. But ultimately, The Messenger operates like a sensitive, finely etched buddy movie, delicately observing these two very different men as they form a deep bond. Finally, here is a film that, without patriotic clichés, honors the service of today’s soldiers while showing how it rips them apart.

RELATED CONTENT

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!