The Messenger

The Messenger was released in Canada on February 26, 2010. The primary cast consists of Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.

The story of The Messenger is quite captivating. Foster is an injured war veteran who will finish his service in the Casualty Notification Department. His mentor is Harrelson. The result is a unique look at the impact of war, with some very gifted acting and a wonderful screenplay. I just loved this movie. It is sentimental, it is raw, it is grim, it is funny.

The Messenger is nominated for two Academy Awards. Harrelson gets the nod for Best Supporting Actor. Certainly we have seen him both wacky and wonderful down through the years, but this is truly his best work. The nomination is well deserved, and a win would not be out of place. Harrelson also has great chemistry with Foster, who was neglected, but could have easily been nominated in the Best Actor category. Again, the performance of his career to date, for sure. The second nomination is for Original Screenplay, and this is no mystery. The lines are just brilliant, and the storyline provokes both cognitively and emotionally. Both the nominations come in tough categories, but I must say, this one was pure genius.

I am not a fan of war movies, but this year the writers have gotten creative on us. First it was The Hurt Locker that took us to a new place in war world. Now The Messenger does the same. This movie is not well marketed to date, but you should search until you find it. Great film.