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WAR IS HELL

Today's film was Oren Moverman's

The Messenger (2009)

Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster with Samantha Morton.

This is not a war movie and not an antiwar movie. No one gets all post traumatic stress on us.

It is a character study. It savors simple situations. It looks deeply at relationships between men and men and women. It explores tough life and death situations.

The focus is on Foster who, on temporary assignment to Harrelson, becomes one of the two soldiers who visit the families of the war dead. Actually the one designated family survivor. They announce their news and then leave. But, of course, they take all the situations that they experience with them.

This is a very very good movie. It is moving. It is skillfully acted and told.

Some of it is rough and deeply emotional. Some of it is funny. Some of it is a little whacky.

The two soldiers, Harrelson and Foster are superb. Perfectly matched. I love Woody Harrelson and, these days, will make an effort to see all his films. He is a good picker. Ben Foster is new to me but he has it all. He is not a pretty boy. He is a full bore young male actor with a lot of chops. Great to watch.

There is no sentimentality in this picture. It is about people facing life on life's terms.

This is ripe for multiple viewings. I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films