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Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson deliver

BY MIRIAM RINN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

MOVIE REVIEW

There's been a lot of talk about Americans avoiding films having to do with the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and what that means, but less mentioned is the fact that most of those movies weren't very good. But they're getting better. "The Hurt Locker" was excellent, and now "The Messenger" (shot in and around Fort Dix) is another deeply felt portrayal of the complicated impact of combat on the men who do the fighting and the people waiting for them at home. Both films share a principled avoidance of easy answers and a palpable respect for the men and women affected by these seemingly interminable wars. "The Messenger" is much quieter than "The Hurt Locker" but no less compelling.

The title "The Messenger" refers to Will Montgomery, an army officer who has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and is assigned to the U.S. Army's Casualty Notification Service. Superbly played by Ben Foster, Will is wary and withdrawn, dismayed at his new job of informing families that their loved ones have been killed. He's come back from the war a hero, and now he needs to spend the final few months of his service swimming in a sea of grief, as his experienced notification partner Tony Stone puts it. Struggling with his own physical and emotional wounds, Will is clearly uncomfortable confronting the overwhelming loss of the people he meets. Foster's darting eyes, his hesitant speech, his clear empathy for the shocked and enraged recipients of his message help us understand how surprised Will is at his own reactions. He may be battle hardened, but he's unprepared for the agony he encounters. The audience may be unprepared too; these wrenching scenes are a powerful reminder of war's human cost. With no exploding shells or battlefield flashbacks, the film clearly lays out what war means to the people involved. In our volunteer army, that's a relatively small group, so it's even more shocking for most of us to experience the reality that people are killed every day.

Tony, played by Woody Harrelson, deals with the job by following strict rules of procedure: stick to the script, don't answer questions, absolutely no touching. Unlike Foster's delicate and precise work, Harrelson's performance starts out big and showy, but as the film moves at a quiet and deliberate pace, he gradually reveals Tony's own suffering and shame. Harrelson's shaved head and ramrod posture make him look like the iconic soldier.

One of the people Will and Tony bring the bad news to is Olivia. Her husband, now on his third tour, won't be coming home. The film doesn't preach about the strain of multiple tours, but it's obvious what the impact must be. Olivia's gentle and polite reaction touches something in Will, and he finds himself drawn back to her house again and again. Played by Samantha Morton with her usual tremulous sensitivity, Olivia responds to Will's interest in her and her young son with gratitude and confusion. Both Will and Olivia have been knocked down and are struggling to get back up. She stands in contrast to Will's ex-girlfriend Kelly, played by Jena Malone, who seems more self-assured to the point of brittleness. Will's relationship with Kelly includes the one false note in the film, where Will and Tony show up drunk at Kelly's engagement party.

Written by Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, the film won for best screenplay at the Berlinale 2009. Moverman co-wrote Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There" and was a screenwriter on "Jesus's Son." He's clearly a gifted writer, and "The Messenger" is his first directorial project. An Israeli who served four years in the army, Moverman imbues the film with a sense of dignity and quiet appreciation for his characters. These men and women are actors in a larger drama, over which they have almost no control. Within those parameters, they must make the best of their lives.

"The Messenger" gives them their due.