This is an episodic movie given focus by the fine performances of Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson as soldiers charged with informing next-of-kins ("NOKs") that a loved one serving in Iraq has been killed.
Just as each next of kin responds differently to the terrible news, the two main characters approach their notification duties differently. Will, the sergeant (Ben Foster), has seen action in Iraq, been wounded, and been decorated for heroism. He finds it difficult to refrain from comforting the NOKs. Tony, the captain (Woody Harrelson), is an army lifer who does things by the book and sticks to the Army's script for notifications, no matter how pitifully grief-stricken are the people who receive the awful news from him.
The fact that Will has experienced real battle in the second Iraq war while Tony's service in the first never brought him close to the enemy is a critical factor in the way the movie develops, particularly toward the end. I could check the spoiler alert box at this point, but better you see for yourself. Enough to say that both men feel guilty about their roles in the two wars.
This is not an anti-war movie or, conversely, a glorification of war. Instead it is a drama of character. Both actors create complex, completely believable characters.
Just as each next of kin responds differently to the terrible news, the two main characters approach their notification duties differently. Will, the sergeant (Ben Foster), has seen action in Iraq, been wounded, and been decorated for heroism. He finds it difficult to refrain from comforting the NOKs. Tony, the captain (Woody Harrelson), is an army lifer who does things by the book and sticks to the Army's script for notifications, no matter how pitifully grief-stricken are the people who receive the awful news from him.
The fact that Will has experienced real battle in the second Iraq war while Tony's service in the first never brought him close to the enemy is a critical factor in the way the movie develops, particularly toward the end. I could check the spoiler alert box at this point, but better you see for yourself. Enough to say that both men feel guilty about their roles in the two wars.
This is not an anti-war movie or, conversely, a glorification of war. Instead it is a drama of character. Both actors create complex, completely believable characters.