The Messenger is the painfully sad, hopeful, complicated, confusing story of two very different soldiers who, because fortune has frowned upon them, have received assignment as Casuatly Notification Officers. They tell the next-of-kin that "The Secretary of the Army regrets to inform you that your son/husband/daughter was killed."Woody Harrelson plays Captain Tony Stone. He's been in the CNO business for a while, and it's not helping him recover from his alcohol problem. Sargent Will Montgomery (played by Ben Foster) is new to the business of death notification. He's trying to learn the ropes from Captain Stone while dealing with his own literal and figurative scars.
Both men act their roles beautifully. They are tough and strong, but also damaged and starting to crack. The emotions of the men are restrained, as is the film portrayal of their misadventures. They talk, but don't say too much. They get to be friends, in that way that men do, but they're not too close. Then there's Montgomery's ex, who moved on to someone else while Will was in Iraq. He's not quite ready to let her go, and she's too nice (or too cruel?) to cut him out of her life.
The most complicated emotional confrontation is between Sargent Montgomery and the widow he just notified of her husband's death (played by Samantha Morton). They are drawn to each other, even though they know they shouldn't be. They try to be friends, lovers, even though it feels wrong. Or does it? You feel a little sick yourself watching it, but at the same time, you know why they want to be together. They're both, from their own perspectives, going through the same experience. They understand each other. But that explanation somehow doesn't make their relationship any less confusing.
Bottom line: great portrayal of complicated emotional and psychological issues. From a male perspective. Which is rare.
No comments:
Post a Comment