Deliver the message. Don't get involved.
In his most powerful performance to date, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service.
Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will's emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival.
Featuring tour-de-force performances from Foster, Harrelson and Morton, and a brilliant directorial debut by Oren Moverman, THE MESSENGER brings us into the inner lives of these outwardly steely heroes to reveal their fragility with compassion and dignity.
Special Features:
- Commentary with Director/co-writer Oren Moverman, producer Lawrence Inglee and actors Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson
- Going Home: Reflections From the Set Notification: A documentary about the notification process
- Q & A with the cast and crew
- Theatrical trailer
Critic Reviews:
- " One of the most powerful and humane war dramas to spring from this current conflict. " – Matthew Lucas (From the Front Row)
- " An extraordinary anti-war film that does not engage in polemics. The Messenger's extreme effectiveness is due to the brilliant acting of Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. " – Ed Koch (The Atlantic)
- " It never feels contrived or overwritten, managing to deftly pack emotional punches through the strength of its performances and direction. " – Ben Rawson-Jones (Digital Spy)
