the messenger ( 2009 film )
the messenger (2009) …review and / or viewer comments • christian spotlight on the movies • christiananswers. net
(
sõnumitooja
, 2009) and meeting the film director leeni linna. she was also the author of the film
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omnilab media co - financed the production and release of this compelling 2009 war - drama feature film .
the messenger was a good film that went ignored for the most part except for original screenplay .
april 29 - may 2 a single man (2009, usa, 99 m .); the messenger (2009, usa, 105 m .); the imaginarium of dr. parnassus (2009, uk / canada / france, 122 m .); the last station (2009, germany / russia / uk, 112 m .); the cove (2009, usa, 92 min .), sponsored by mission savvy and emily jones yoga; the maid (2009, chile / mexico, 95m .); broken embraces (2009, spain 127 min .), a serious man (2009, usa, 105 m .), an education (2009, uk, 105 min. )
featured in zombieland / a serious man / whip it (2009). see more »
district 9 (2009, us / nz / can. / s. afr. )
omnilab media co - financed the production and release on this compelling 2009 war - drama feature film starring 2010 academy award nominated for best supporting actor, woody harrelson .
sherazade film development (in association with) (as sherazade film development co. ltd. )
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2009 marked the year of the hurt locker. kathryn bigelow’s film topped over 60% of critics’ top 10 lists, which was 10% more than any other film. it also went on to win the best picture oscar at the academy awards .
as many of you know, i am a huge fan of death metal. as many of you don’t know, i also have a passion for film and i just saw what i believe to be the best film of 2009 :
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 .
- the ghosts of his former girlfriends. of the two films released in 2009 based on dickens' beloved story - this, and disney' s
woody harrelson, left, and ben foster play army visitors no family wants to meet in
the messenger .
yesterday, we brought you quentin tarantino’s top 8 films of 2009 and today we have john waters, another film buff / director, listing his best of the year. i always find anything that waters writes or says to be entertaining and his thoughts on these ten films are no different. here’s what he thought were the top 10 films of 2009 :
the first director they approached about “the messenger” was sydney pollack, whom mr. moverman had once chatted up in a starbucks .
( los angeles) september 29, 2009 – screen gems and constantin film announced today that “resident evil: afterlife, ” the next installment in the widely successful “resident evil” film franchise has begun production in toronto, canada. the fourth film, which will be shot and released in 3 - d, is a first in the “resident evil” film franchise. most of the key creative players, who turned the “resident evil” film franchise into a global phenomenon, will be reprising their roles in “afterlife” .
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an article last sunday about the film “the messenger” misstated, at one point, the rank of the character played by woody harrelson. as the article noted elsewhere, he portrays a captain named tony stone, not a sergeant .
the messenger is a grim and crushing film. it packs such a punch that it will leave you staring blankly at the screen until the credits finish rolling. the messenger is one of the most powerful anti - war films i have ever seen, made all the more impressive by the fact that it doesn’t take sides and it doesn’t have to preach. it simply examines the cost of war through the tragedy of a human death — and the messenger shows that even one death is a price too high .
“the messenger” is rated r (under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). it has sex, nudity and strong language .
“first shown at the berlin film festival four years ago, the sun is finally receiving its welcome american theatrical release, which means that one of the best movies of 2005 is now also one of the best of 2009. ” — manohla dargis, new york times
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the messenger is a haunting yet powerful film from oren moverman featuring an outstanding leading performance from ben foster. audiences who want to see a war film without any political message or heavy - handed ideas about war will definitely see this as something more refreshing. while it’s not an easy film to watch due to its approach, it is a film that doesn’t go for conventions. featuring incredible supporting performances and appearances from woody harrelson, samantha morton, jena malone, and steve buscemi. it’s a film that is very real but also has poignant ideas about what families and soldiers go through with loss. in the end, the messenger is a brilliant yet chilling film from oren moverman. oren moverman films: rampart - (time out of mind) - (the dinner (2017 film) )
unveiling his horror film antichrist, the film - maker had provocative statements aplenty to distribute to the world' s press. just how seriously can we take them ?
this article explores the relationship between film and international law by reference to the feature film zero dark thirty (2012). the authors examine this film in the context of international law, while also considering related questions of genre, torture, gender and targeted killing .
with the insight and sensitivity of an insider, the messenger illuminates the sometimes invisible victims of war - - the survivors - - and a pain that is tolerated but never quite healed .
informing people that their children have died in a war is an unfortunate reality and the messenger tackles this subject. the premise of the film and the plot is quite fascinating, but i can' t help the feeling more could' ve been done with it. there are moments of brilliance in this film that highligh the talents of ben foster (this guy is so underused in hollywood) and woody harrelson. both turn in great performances, but it does not totally make up for the somewhat lacklustre or underwhelming narrative of the messenger .
in addition, disney' s / pixar' s animated film up, the second animated film ever nominated for best picture (and the first computer - animated film ever nominated for best picture), won two oscar awards: best animated feature film and best original score, and was one of the top moneymakers of the year (at $ 293 million to date) .
the acquisition was made between madman’s paul wiegard and nick batzias, and omnilab media' s executive producers on the film, christopher mapp, david whealy and matthew street at the 2010 sundance film festival .
raising eyebrows... lars von trier (centre) unveils antichrist at the 62nd cannes film festival with the film' s stars willem dafoe and charlotte gainsbourg. photograph: regis duvignau / reuters
the script for “the messenger, ” which mr. moverman wrote with alessandro camon, has been purged of melodrama, and also of the glum indie - film conventions that weigh down so many forays into local realism. though there are a few scenes that seem more written than lived, the film as a whole is remarkably textured, with room for humor as well as anguish .
june 24, west virginia premiere of still bill (2009, usa 78 min) at capitol center theater in conjunction with festivall, featuring an introduction by and q & a with director damani baker .
“some jobs are dirtier than others, and after seeing director and co - writer oren moverman’s beautifully acted new film the messenger, you’ll be better acquainted with some of the most grueling work a human being can be called upon to perform. ” — michael phillips, chicago tribune
55 year - old james cameron (his second nomination) for avatar. [ note: cameron previously won three oscars, all for titanic (1997) (best picture (producer), best director, and best film editing). he was personally up for the same three oscars in 2009. ]
oren moverman’s directorial debut attempts to differentiate itself from the recent glut of war movies by focusing on the emotional fallout when soldiers don’t come home. the film follows two officers assigned to deliver the bad news to the families of deceased soldiers. whilst the hook maybe different, the messenger still ends up covering familiar ground because the film is as much about the emotional trauma and social dislocation of the messengers as it is about the news they are delivering to the unsuspecting parents and wives of their dead colleagues .
every film that has ever been nominated for an academy award in any category. enjoy !
“the messenger” will probably leave you sad and pensive, but it’s ultimately a film about love and hope. it’s a dark, tough road that ultimately showcases the change in the lives of two men. while clearly a movie only for discerning adults, it’s a movie that will make you think .
that the director spent four years in the israel defense forces, absorbing viscerally what he calls the “emotional landscape” of war, distinguishes the film too .
while 2009 in many ways was a weak year for movies, at least in the mainstream, if you looked into international cinema, there were lots of films to be admired. here’s my personal top 20 films of 2009 —they’re the ones that were the most emotionally affecting and psychologically haunting. the tried and true formula: the experience + the resonance = great movie. it has to be great in that moment and months later, unlike say, “ avatar ” which was fun but forgotten about an hour later .
unlike our 2008 picks, we stuck explicitly to 2009 films, not including pictures that are set for a 2010 release that we saw earlier this year at cannes and the toronto international film festival (nicolas winding refn ‘s spiritual horror viking film, “ valhalla rising ” and bong joon - ho ‘s oedipal murder mystery drama, “ mother ” being the two that would easily penetrate this list if they were technically not 2010 films) .
the film is premised on the verbal communication of urgent information, yet its many non - verbal moments provide the greatest strength and clarity .
one day early last year oren moverman, an israeli - american screenwriter directing his first film, “the messenger, ” met his two lead actors, woody harrelson and ben foster, outside t. g. i. friday’s at penn station in new york for a field trip to washington .
i' m a film buff and music critic who is more interested in the daring yet provocative pieces of art .
dramas aren' t drawing audiences (unless they' re dramas loaded with action), but comedies continue to do well at the box office. that said, there were a lot of disappointing laffers released in 2009 (year one, land of the lost, observe and report, etc). thankfully, there were enough decent comedies to make up for the ones that just didn' t work. here are my picks for the funniest movies of 2009. remember, these are my personal favorites - feel free to disagree .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
much of the critical attention has been concentrated on the performances and it is easy to see why because it is the one genuine standout element in the film. …
directed by oren moverman with a script co - written with alessandro camon, the messenger tells the story of a young u. s. army staff sergeant who accompanies a captain to give notice to families of fallen soldiers. during one trip, the young soldier falls for a widow as he deals with his own ethics issues while befriending his superior. a war drama that plays to the iraqi war of the 2000s, it is a film that explores what families and soldiers go through when they have to deliver the news of death to families. starring ben foster, woody harrelson, samantha morton, jena malone, and steve buscemi. the messenger is a harrowing yet mesmerizing film from oren moverman .
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ok, i haven’t seen everything. i didn’t see “ paris ” starring juliette binoche, but most people seemed to think it was mediocre (i love binoche, so i will see this eventually). the cannes 2009 runner - up “ un prophete ” has been seen by many (including several other playlist members), but technically does not come out in the u. s. until february, 2010, so it wouldn’t be included here. many critics, including roger ebert are including “ silent light ” in their 2009 picks, but it came out for a week in new york during christmas of 2008, so i included it in those picks. i suppose if i included it here, it would crack the top 5, but again, for my specific purposes, we’re going to consider it a 2009 film. go see it, as it is a radiant picture .
tall and bald, with a loose - limbed, cargo pants - wearing, backpack - on - one - shoulder casualness, mr. moverman spoke in his film distributor’s loftlike office in downtown manhattan about the odyssey of making “the messenger, ” which, with a budget under $ 10 million, he portrayed as the little war movie that could .
wasn’t zombieland at number 41 on this list? if so, can you please put it back? it was one of 2009’s most acclaimed pictures and on a lot of lists, and it needs some recongition from the amount of top 10s it was placed on .
“the messenger, ” though, directly appealed to colonel sinor, who had been in charge of what he called the army’s “killed - in - action branch” in 2005. “i knocked on those doors myself, ” he said .
an interesting story, some very strong performances, and a somewhat weak, melodramatic and romantic sub - plot pretty much sums up my thoughts about the messenger. a recommendable effort by first - time director oren moverman .
screengems will distribute “resident evil: afterlife” in the u. s. and sony pictures will distribute in certain select foreign territories. screengems previously handled u. s. distribution of “resident evil”, “apocalypse” and “extinction”. constantin film will retain all german - language rights. metropolitan film export, headed by samuel hadida and victor hadida, will distribute the film in france .
this admittedly did not go down too well with some journalists who had clearly been left bewildered and angry after watching his new horror movie antichrist at the cannes film festival. here is a film that wants to be watched behind splayed fingers .
this list collects every film from the starting list that became they shoot pictures don' t they' s 1000 greatest films. this…
but the messenger is nevertheless an interesting, often powerful and moving, soldier drama with some amazing performances which is enhanced by some decent handheld camerawork. the camera more or less works as a passive observer in the most emotional parts, and
stays in the background
so that the focus stays on the performances of the actors .
oren moverman co - wrote and directed this great film focusing on the impact the war of iraq has on its soldiers and their families. the hurt locker got a lot more critical attention, but in my opinion the messenger is also a great movie with a lot of psychological depth and great performances from the entire cast. it is a movie you won 't want to miss if you are interested in good acting and character driven films. it is not a popcorn action film and some may find it slow, but it is a…
this is a well acted film telling a story rarely heard about the people who report military deaths to survivors and the prices they pay to do so .
tickets for movies that matter: rbg in charleston from showclix. join us at the underground cinema by wviff for june' s movie that matter mondays film: rbg about the film: an intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star: justice ruth bader ginsburg. with unprecedented access, the filmmakers
with 2015 upon us, we figured it was a good time to look back on the movies the millennium has brought us. we’ve dug into the archives and are re - running our best of the 2000s pieces, from way back in 2009 when the playlist was a little blogspot site held together with tape and string. each list runs down the top 10 films of each year (it’s possible that, half - a - decade on, we’d put them in a different order and even change some of the movies, but we wanted to preserve the original pieces untouched as far as possible). check out 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 if you missed them, and today we continue with 2009. fyi, unlike the other pieces, which were compiled by group, 2009 were the picks of editor - in - chief rodrigo perez only, and also went to twenty picks. if he were to do them again, they’d probably look very different, too…
the messenger
is the first film directed by oren moverman, a combat veteran of the israeli army, whose earlier screenplays included the bob dylan biopic
i' m not there
( 2007) and the extraordinary
jesus' son
( 1999). this is a writer' s picture, no less than a visual experience that approaches its subject as tactfully as the messengers do. no fancy camerawork. it happens, we absorb it .
the messenger stars woody harrelson and ben foster – two us army officers who return home from a tour in iraq and are assigned to the army' s casuality notification service, tasked with delivering the tragic news to the families of fallen soldiers. one solider finds himself drawn to a woman, whom he has just delivered the news of her husband’s death. the film reveals itself as a surprising, humourous and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival .
[ foster and harrelson' s ] interplay, on the job (ruining the day of one unfortunate person after the next) and off... provides the backbone of this erratically paced film .
the soldiers in the film wear a unit patch with a large
22
on it. this is a fictional unit. the actual 22nd infantry division was a
phantom division
that never actually existed. it was created in world war ii to fool german intelligence. the patch created is different from the one in the film, though. see more »
eople shoot the messenger because it feels good, and also because the messenger is not neutral. the messenger is complicit with the bad news; he has agreed to convey it and tacitly endorses the system of which it is a byproduct. emotionally, the messengers in this interesting american indie by oren moverman get shot at point - blank range every day. but they shoot first. ben foster plays staff sergeant will montgomery, a decorated soldier recovering from injuries sustained in iraq. with three months to go before his enlistment period ends and he returns to civilian life, montgomery is redeployed to the casualty notification team under the formidable command of captain tony stone, played by woody harrelson: they will be a two - man outfit whose job is to show up in uniform at the houses of next of kin and inform them that their sons and husbands and wives and daughters have been killed on active service .
the messenger is packed chock - full of dramatic moments, all handled exquisitely by moverman, but one scene in particular toward the end of the film will grip you like nothing you’ve seen before, and it’s worth the price of admission alone. it is a scene in which montgomery shares his experiences in iraq with stone, who eventually breaks down in tears. foster is astonishing here and in my opinion, this scene alone should net him an oscar .
48 year - old woody harrelson (his second nomination), for his performance as captain tony stone, an alcoholic military officer struggling with his job to bring casualty
messages
( from the casualty notification office) to the families of slain soldiers, in director oren moverman' s debut feature film the messenger (two nominations and no wins) (harrelson was previously nominated for his lead role in the people vs. larry flynt (1996) )
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. what a space it opens…
november 6 - 15, fall film festival at capitol center theater american violet (2008, usa 108 min); goodbye solo (2008, usa 91 min); coal country (2009, usa 84 min); 2009 oscar - nominated live action shorts; o’horten (2007, norway 90 min), food, inc. (2008, usa 94 min), the hurt locker (2008, usa 131 min), dead snow (2009, norway 91 min), harvard beats yale 29 - 29 (2008, usa 105 min), lemon tree (2008, israel106 min), the class (entre les murs) (2008, france 128 min), the secret of the grain (2007, france 151 min), pray the devil back to hell (2008, usa 72 min), rudo y cursi (2008, mexico / usa 103 min), departures (2008, japan 130 min), summer hours (2008, france 103 min), anvil: the story of anvil (2008, canada 80 min), little ashes (2008, uk / spain 112 min), waltz with bashir (2008, israel 90 min )
while the movie as a whole is thoroughly engrossing and all the movie references and subplots involving the cinema world undoubtedly enrich his story, this is a pretty minor film from the filmmaker. — kirk honeycutt, hollywood reporter
early in 2009, 27 years after that initial blast of opprobrium, the thing' s reputation has recovered sufficiently for its producing studio, universal, to deem it worthwhile to announce the monster' s return in a prequel. matthijs van heijningen, whose cv consists largely of drinks commercials, is set to direct a screenplay by ronald d moore, erstwhile executive producer and writer of star trek, roswell high and battlestar galactica. the prequel will be set in the norwegian camp, which, as we already know from carpenter' s film, is doomed .
this is a powerful drama focusing on what war does to the mind, ethical dilemmas and how people cope with loss. yet all i' ll ever remember about the messenger is woody harrelson saying :
i' d like to strap her on and wear her like a government issued gas mask .
unfortunately, the hysterical reaction to the film has confirmed that able - bodied society, or at least its representatives on festival committees and funding boards, would prefer stories about disabled people to be consoling or uplifting. bafta made the headlines last year when it cancelled a screening of freak show .
it said my film showed an inappropriate representation of disability and raised too many questions ,
scoffs butchins .
one funding organisation said it felt the film wasn' t' disability - empowering' .
and while freak show will play next week in the london international documentary festival, it is perhaps more typical of the general response that butchins was recently invited to screen it in a canadian horror film festival .
we' ve seen countless war films about the battlefield, filled with graphic and shocking images that depict war as the ultimate hell on earth. some of those films (saving private ryan, platoon) are incredible while others (windtalkers, pearl harbor) are not. the messenger is a film that doesn' t concern itself with the battlefield. it is about the aftermath, when soldiers are employed to visit the families of those killed in action and give them the horrible news. it is an undoubtedly gripping picture, filled with moments of mourning, sadness, and insanity. the story is ultimately about grief that never goes away but has to nonetheless be overcome. ben foster, woody harrelson, and samantha morton give career defining performances. this film is an absolute masterpiece that portrays the
war is hell
theme in a way that truly has never been seen before in film .
rbg by andy white | may 18, 2018 | front page slider, underground cinema | 0 comments join us at the underground cinema by wviff for june' s movie that matter mondays film: rbg about the film: an intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star: justice ruth bader ginsburg. with unprecedented access, ...
meryl streep had a busy 2009, lending her voice to fantastic mr fox, playing the attractive older woman at the center of love triangle in it' s complicated, and tackling the role of legendary chef julia child in julie & julia. streep is good in all three of her 2009 films, but her incredibly engaging take on julia child, going over - the - top and seeming to love every minute of it, stands out amy adams also shines as an office worker who sets out to conquer julia' s entire mastering the art of french cooking cookbook while blogging about her experiences. i can' t cook, but this movie made me want to whip up a soufflé. it' s a delicious treat you should not watching when you' re hungry. more »
in 2009, the academy decided to return to featuring an expanded field of nominees for best picture. from now on, there would be ten films nominated for best picture instead of five - the last time this happened was 1943 (66 years ago). [ note: from 1931 to 1943, the oscars had between eight and 12 best picture nominees. ] this change was expected to result in :
“how exactly do i know you again? ” mr. pollack responded when mr. moverman contacted him about “the messenger. ” soon the veteran director was deep inside the script, with the two screenwriters sitting “literally at his feet” in his new york apartment, mr. moverman said. but mr. pollack wanted them to refocus the film on the romantic attraction between the iraq veteran and the war widow: “i make movies about love stories that can’t happen, ” he said, according to mr. moverman. it did not work out. (mr. pollack died in 2008. )
hey man, thanks for writing. the guy who wrote the review of the messenger for our site (“intothedarkness”) doesn’t write for us much any more. i’ve e - mailed him to see if he knows what song it is. it’s been a long time since i saw the movie, and i don’t remember the music during that scene. i did find this listing of all the songs in the movie’s soundtrack :
6. “the hurt locker” kathryn bigelow ‘s ‘hurt locker’ is a kind of reverse action film. while heart - pounding detonations go off and shots are fired, this film, set during the conflict in iraq, is actually more powerful for the action that doesn’t happen. defusing bombs is the name of the game for enlisted adrenaline junkies who get off on handling live wires — damn if there has been an “action film” this tense, riveting and intelligent in years. bigelow excels in setting pulses racing when seemingly nothing is happening. case in point? jeremy renner ‘s paralysis in a grocery store, overwhelmed by the choice of cereals in the real world, is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the film. living with a job where every day might be his last, he’ll never be the same .
every year i try to see as many of the oscar nominated films as possible. i deliberately left the messenger for near the end because the subject matter seemed so damned depressing i wasn' t expecting much from it. turns out i actually liked it more than i thought i would and the things i didn' t like about it had nothing to do with its subject .
is one of the most intelligent of rom - coms to come out this decade. the narrator begins the film by saying it' s not a love story, yet there' s a whole lot to love about
in the best animated feature film category, hayao miyazaki' s critically - acclaimed ponyo was left out, as was the heavily - marketed animation cloudy with a chance of meatballs. also ignored was shane acker' s 9, a frightening, awe - inspiring pg - 13 cgi - animated, post - apocalyptic film about small burlap
stitchpunk
robots who attempt to survive in a dark world full of terrifying machines; the film itself was an expansion of acker' s oscar - nominated short 9 (2004) .
the best picture winner the hurt locker, a low - budget film from summit entertainment with a production budget of $ 15 million, turned out to be the lowest - grossing winner of all - time, at $ 14. 7 million at the time of its win. it was also the fifth consecutive r - rated best picture winner, and the second of only two best picture winners to be a film festival acquisition (the first was in 2005) .
“the messenger” was filmed over 28 days last year. the six casualty - notification scenes were each shot with a hand - held camera in one long take. mr. moverman separated mr. harrelson and mr. foster from the actors playing the next of kin until the shooting began: “ben and woody didn’t know who would open the door to them, ” he said. “it was very, very intense. ”
“the real star of this show is director lee daniels. he’s the one who conjures the film’s eerie mix of kitchen - sink realism and gothic symbolism, its deft back - and - forth between the horrific and the sublime. ” — chad vognar, dallas morning news
in 12 min in the movie the messenger, what is that song called they also play the song when ben foster punches the wall because he up set that his love is get married to another guy. im a solder and i can relate to his anger when that happens. i have to know who sings it. please let me know, howyadoin535 @ urltoken thank you
is tough. i can only imagine how tough it must be then to be a soldier whose job it is to go around to other soldiers’ families to tell them of their loss. such is the subject matter for “the messenger, ” a sad, but deeply moving, picture that details the mindset of soldiers carrying the weight of delivering such terrible news to loved ones .
disney / pixar' s up (five nominations, with two wins for best animated feature film and best original score), the second animated film to be nominated for best picture, following beauty and the beast (1991), the first cg - animated best picture nominee, and the first to receive a best picture nomination since animated films received their own category in 2001 (see below) .
5. “the headless woman” an eerie and intentionally disorienting experience about the after affects of a woman undergoing a random car accident, lucrecia martel ’ s film enigmatically places you in a claustrophobic mental crawlspace that blurs the lines between reality and depth perception autism. it might be the first film that frighteningly (and subtly) makes you feel like you’re taking on the first symptoms of schizophrenia. a disembodying and haunting piece of cinema .
there was also some debate - among contributors and here at the observer - about how to define a british film. did it need to be shot here? funded here? feature predominantly british talent, in front and behind the camera? sort of... in truth we resisted hard - and - fast criteria (we' re in good company; check out the website of the uk film council, which explains how films can be arranged according to different degrees of britishness). instead we followed a loose cultural test - did the film feel british? these 25 do .
“in the end, moon raises disturbing ethical questions about science and bioengineering, but it’s the emotional questions the film poses — about memory, about family, about identity — that really resonate. ” — steven rea, philadelphia inquirer
the cast is good and the entire movie played very low key. foster does a decent job as montgomery and samantha morton is fine as the widow. harrelson does standout though and you can see why he was nominated. although he gets a couple of emotional moments he' s at his best at the beginning of the film when he' s showing montgomery the ropes. he' s tough and no - nonsense and yet he delivers the news of death with dignity. he' s easily the best part of the film .
but that’s it. if it weren’t for that weekend getaway with woody and ben, this would have been an easy 8, but the messenger is nonetheless a very easy movie to recommend. great performances, a choice script and a powerhouse concept to work off of make for one of the more affecting war dramas i’ve seen in recent memory .
i really did like this film. it was just advertised as a film about this lonely war mother falling in love with this soldier, when that was only like the side story. woody harrelson (who i met), is just so good here, adding comedy to a role that could have been so seriously cheesy. nice review brah !
many reviewers compared carpenter' s film unfavourably to christian nyby' s the thing from another world (produced by howard hawks, often credited as the film' s auteur), which had been based on the same source material, john w campbell' s 1938 novella who goes there? variety wrote :
what the old picture delivered – and what carpenter has missed – was a sense of intense dread .
which is funny, because in 1951, the same paper had said of nyby' s film :
the resourcefulness shown in building the plot groundwork is lacking as the yarn gets into full swing. cast members... fail to communicate any real terror .
“the messenger” is a tough movie to watch. tougher than seeing soldiers die through brutal violence is watching the reaction of their loved ones, knowing they can do nothing about it. it’s a painstaking job and one that takes its toll on the viewer, as well as the two main characters. it also has a strong message about the connections people have and the ones they make. it shows how much people need help, support, and encouragement .
“the messenger, ” which opens on friday in new york and washington, reflects this fierce intimacy. it is a war movie, but the war, unlike in most films about iraq and afghanistan, is completely off screen; nothing explodes, and flashbacks to baghdad or tikrit do not occur. the film instead focuses on the relationship between two casualty - notification officers — a crusty career sergeant (mr. harrelson) and a wounded soldier just back from iraq (mr. foster) — whose mission is to knock on doors and deliver news of death to next of kin .
“the messenger” is about as realistic a movie as you’ll find, and because of that the depiction of two soldiers struggling with their own personal demons leaves the viewer with several content issues. the language and sexual dialogue is explicit, and there are a couple of scenes with gratuitous sexual content. director oren moverman does not shy away from any aspect of these soldiers’ lives, even when it may have been the better choice to do so .
16. “the limits of control” perhaps the most misunderstood film of 2009. a swirling, mantra - like dream and a deceptively funny piece of minimalist art, jim jarmusch ‘s “the limits of control” stars a stoic isaach de bankolé in a performance sorely undervalued this year by impatient, short - sighted critics. mark my words, like mind - benders such as david lynch ‘s “ mulholland drive, ” alain renais’ “ last year at marienbad, ” or even jarmusch’s own “ dead man” (which also received poor reviews and now is a cult classic), this psychedelic masterpiece will one day get its proper due. in some circles, it already has .
hen larry and andy wachowski were pitching the matrix to their producers, they played them a dvd of an 82 - minute japanese cartoon and said :
we wanna do that for real .
the film was 1995' s
anderson offered a small glimpse of what can be expected in the new film: “alice’s battle with the umbrella corporation isn’t finished. last time we saw alice, she let them know she was coming after them. it’s time to settle the score. ”
cinematographer bobby bukowski does a great job with the film‘s photography that is mostly straightforward with a heightened brightness for its daytime exterior scenes. even as the nighttime exterior and interior scenes are shot with dark lights to complement the troubled moods some of the characters are going through as bukowski’s work is worth noting. editor alexander hall does a superb job with the editing in creating cuts that plays to the sense of longing and emotion in will’s journey. even as there’s some rhythmic cuts to play up to reactions while creating a leisured pace throughout the entirety of the film .
at one point in “the messenger” a soldier, just back from an overseas tour of duty, is telling a story during a welcome - home party with some friends. it starts out as a funny reminiscence of a local character he knew in iraq, but when the anecdote takes a gruesome turn, the laughter is replaced by uncomfortable silence. nobody gets the point of what he’s saying, or maybe nobody wants to hear it, and the happy mood of the reunion fractures .
19 - year - old billy lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing iraq battle. through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad - - contrasting the realities of war with america' s perceptions .
the film is about a soldier becoming a messenger to give notices to families of fallen soldier with a hard - ass captain while falling for a woman. that’s essentially the film’s plot as it’s mostly told through a loose form of storytelling. in reality, the film is a character study about a young man trying to deal with his new assignment along with his own issues from the war and at home. for will montgomery, he’s leading a complicated life where has to go see doctors about his left eye and at one point, he meets a returning soldier (jeremy strong) as that soldier tries to live a life in denial. stabilizing his life is his assignment to give notices to families though it isn’t easy where at one point, he gives notice an angry father (steve buscemi). it’s in this widow named olivia where will finds not just comfort but a life outside of duty though he realizes that she is having a hard time with her own issues .
critics fell over themselves praising this dynamite film about the casualties of war. audiences stayed hands off. wake up, people. kathryn bigelow, in the directing tour de force of the year, uses a strong script by embedded journalist and rs contributor mark boal to take us deep into an elite u. s. bomb - disposal squad in baghdad. jeremy renner excels as the unit leader, showing how war becomes a drug. a stunning film on every level .
quentin tarantino' s and the weinstein company' s inglourious basterds (eight nominations, with one win for best supporting actor), a world war ii fantasy / comedy about flamboyant american lt. aldo raine and his troupe of jewish soldiers who sabotage nazi installations behind enemy lines. the film was nominated for best original screenplay despite sharing the same english title as quel maledetto treno blindato (1978), another film about american gis wreaking havoc behind enemy lines
the animated feature film winner was the heavily - favored, best picture - nominated disney / pixar film up (with five nominations and two wins including best original score), a cgi - animated film about cantankerous, bitter 70 year - old widower carl fredricksen (voice of edward asner) who launched his house into the air using hundreds of helium balloons to travel to south america, while slowly befriending an accidental 8 year - old stowaway boy scout named russell. it was the third consecutive oscar in this category for disney / pixar, following ratatouille (2007) and wall - e (2008), that has now won 5 / 9 awards since the new category was established in 2001 .
broke box office records following a tidal wave of positive word - of - mouth online, tweets proclaiming its hilarity, and great reviews. the ballsy buddy film set a new record for an r - rated comedy, smashing the record set by
what stands out from a filmmaking standpoint are the performances, particularly that of woody harrelson and ben foster. these two are perfect for their roles and bring the most to every scene. the film has an understated feel that lets whatever is happening on screen speak for itself .
“the film glides to a perfect landing, leaving several characters changed, one coldly untouched and nothing up in the air at all — except, perhaps, the question of what this very talented crew is going to do next. ” — stephen whitty, newark star - ledger
a decent character study whose main strength lies in two great performances by foster and harrelson, who shine in a sad story that deals with the psychological consequences of a terrible job, but the film also suffers from some tiresome pacing and unnecessary scenes .
it could have easily been a formula film, and the trailer shamelessly tries to misrepresent it as one, but george simmons learns and changes during his ordeal, and we empathize. — roger ebert, chicago sun - times
one of the loudest laughs during the first screening was at von trier' s dedication of the film to andrei tarkovsky. von trier today called tarkovsky
a real god
with whom he had a religious relationship .
i know he saw my very first film and hated it very much, which is fine. he' s the generation before me and i feel related to him. i feel related to bergman as well, [ but ] he didn' t feel related to me .
eastwood, tackling a sports movie very different from million dollar baby, paces the action beautifully, right up to one white - knuckle moment late in the film (involving a plane) when you suddenly realized how invested in the story you’ve become. — moira macdonald, seattle times
this divide is perhaps most painful when it splits lovers, friends and close family members. but as “the messenger” demonstrates with sensitive acuity, it is not necessarily a clear and simple line, and people who seem to live on the same side — servicemen on duty together, a veteran and a widow, a husband and a wife — can find themselves estranged and unable to communicate what they have in common .
notification
: a documentary about u. s. army casualty notification officers and the families of fallen soldiers by joe kelly and john vernon audio commentary with oren moverman, lawrence inglee, ben foster, and woody harrelson
going home
: reflections from the set
variety
screening series q & a with oren moverman, woody harrelson, alessandro camon, lawrence inglee, ben foster, and bobby bukowski
the messenger
shooting script
surprisingly, the film was co - financed by a british company, manga films, an offshoot of island records. andy frain, the movie' s executive producer, says :
i wanted to do a blend of east and west: western storytelling combined with japanese artistry and a great soundtrack – we were talking to massive attack at one point .
but his suggestions were largely ignored, he says. the critics were lukewarm, and the film only reached a sizeable audience on video and dvd .
i have to say that these lowbrow picks rather undermine my confidence in the rest of the list – or they would do, were it not for the fact that brody has some great and in fact inspiring choices. he' s right about manoel de oliveira' s a talking movie. it is a brilliant if eccentric film, a cult classic. it deserves wider currency. and i was thrilled to see his choice of alexander payne' s sublime short film 14th arrondissement .
the scenes where stone and montgomery reveal the news of a soldier' s death to their family are the strongest moments in the film. they are handled and filmed well and really carry an emotional impact. each family that is told is different from the others and each one reacts a little bit differently and yet remarkably the same. as individual scenes they' re great .
everyone takes it differently, and the film develops the two characters as they meet survivors, notably samantha morton as a new widow, and steve buscemi as an angry father. following the army way, they would never see these people again. it doesn' t work out that way .
the seasoned list - maker will know how to combine the obscure choices with the mainstream ones, and this latter consideration is important. the seasoned lister knows that the more mor candidates provide the resonant c - major chords which give solidity and plausibility to the list. but having got those locked down, you can pick the difficult, recondite films – the ones that many people might not have seen yet and the picking of which may possibly, just possibly, amaze and disconcert your fellow film scribes.
the messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring ben foster , woody harrelson , samantha morton , steve buscemi , and jena malone . it is the directorial debut of oren moverman , who also wrote the screenplay with alessandro camon . the film premiered at the 2009 sundance film festival and was in competition at the 59th berlin international film festival where it won the silver bear for best screenplay and the berlinale peace film award ' 09 . the film received first prize for the 2009 deauville american film festival . the film has also received four independent spirit award nominations ( including one win ) , a golden globe nomination , and two academy award nominations . 
the messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring ben foster, woody harrelson, samantha morton, steve buscemi, and jena malone. it is the directorial debut of oren moverman, who also wrote the screenplay with alessandro camon. the film premiered at the 2009 sundance film festival and was in competition at the 59th berlin international film festival where it won the silver bear for best screenplay and the berlinale peace film award' 09. the film received first prize for the 2009 deauville american film festival. the film has also received four independent spirit award nominations (including one win), a golden globe nomination, and two academy award nominations.
the messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring ben foster, woody harrelson, samantha morton, steve buscemi, and jena malone. it is the directorial debut of oren moverman, who also wrote the screenplay with alessandro camon. the film premiered at the 2009 sundance film festival and was in competition at the 59th berlin international film festival where it won the silver bear for best screenplay and the berlinale peace film award' 09. the film received first prize for the 2009 deauville american film festival. the film has also received four independent spirit award nominations (including one win), a golden globe nomination, and two academy award nominations.