Every country has an ego. In this sense, some part of our humanity has been stretched as far as possible, while other parts may have died an infant death. War might be the best highlight to show this process. Yet, The Messenger has no direct portrait on warfare, it only shows you the aftermath on certain human beings.
Recovered from severe injuries in Iraq, war hero Sergeant Will Montgomery(Ben Forster) got an easy job from headquarter, that he will deliver the casualty notification to the families. Mentored by the experienced Captain Tony Stone(Woody Harrison), he actually found the new assignment harder to swallow, as every casualty notification is like a sting to his scars not yet revealed to the audiences. While doing the job, he met his life-time friend Kelly and decided to let her go with her plan of marring another man. In their journey together, Stone kept pushing on his buttons with sarcastic comments on people's relationship. Will, depressed with the situation, seek solace from a widow whom he just notified of her husband's death. Out of ethical codes, both Will and this lady didn't go further in their friendship. After a quarrel about notification procedures, Will and Stone seek casual sex and indulged in getting drunk. They also showed up as unexpectedly on Kelly's wedding, which was messed up by their rude behaviors. After they got sober, Will opened up to Stone about his mental scar, that it was his carelessness that killed one of his comrades......
The Messenger is not a movie for entertainment, not even close. It's consistently depressing especially when tons of emotional bombs dropped on audiences when the family of dead soldier got the notification. If you ever had any grief-struck experience, these scenes can be extremely gut-wrenching. If you are deeply depressed, the later acts of the movie will even make you laugh...in a sad way.
The Americans already had their "Lost generation" in the 1960s and 1970s, which gave me, an Asian, an impression that the lost generation is past-tense. Yet, the modern American lives portrayed by the main characters rebuked this impression. Now, I know that Americans are still producing lost generations.
The whole cast in the movie is incredible, from Ben Forster and Woody Harrison to those little roles. The flow of story allowed you to savor their bitterness and get a glimpse in their vulnerable, yet well-concealed souls. The climax lead to Stone break into tears, which is both poignant and relaxing to see. In the term of narrating technique, the movie is quite an achievement.
7/10. Decently made. Recommend to my left-wing friends who hate Americans.
Recovered from severe injuries in Iraq, war hero Sergeant Will Montgomery(Ben Forster) got an easy job from headquarter, that he will deliver the casualty notification to the families. Mentored by the experienced Captain Tony Stone(Woody Harrison), he actually found the new assignment harder to swallow, as every casualty notification is like a sting to his scars not yet revealed to the audiences. While doing the job, he met his life-time friend Kelly and decided to let her go with her plan of marring another man. In their journey together, Stone kept pushing on his buttons with sarcastic comments on people's relationship. Will, depressed with the situation, seek solace from a widow whom he just notified of her husband's death. Out of ethical codes, both Will and this lady didn't go further in their friendship. After a quarrel about notification procedures, Will and Stone seek casual sex and indulged in getting drunk. They also showed up as unexpectedly on Kelly's wedding, which was messed up by their rude behaviors. After they got sober, Will opened up to Stone about his mental scar, that it was his carelessness that killed one of his comrades......
The Messenger is not a movie for entertainment, not even close. It's consistently depressing especially when tons of emotional bombs dropped on audiences when the family of dead soldier got the notification. If you ever had any grief-struck experience, these scenes can be extremely gut-wrenching. If you are deeply depressed, the later acts of the movie will even make you laugh...in a sad way.
The Americans already had their "Lost generation" in the 1960s and 1970s, which gave me, an Asian, an impression that the lost generation is past-tense. Yet, the modern American lives portrayed by the main characters rebuked this impression. Now, I know that Americans are still producing lost generations.
The whole cast in the movie is incredible, from Ben Forster and Woody Harrison to those little roles. The flow of story allowed you to savor their bitterness and get a glimpse in their vulnerable, yet well-concealed souls. The climax lead to Stone break into tears, which is both poignant and relaxing to see. In the term of narrating technique, the movie is quite an achievement.
7/10. Decently made. Recommend to my left-wing friends who hate Americans.