By: Justin Eisinger

Acclaimed director Francois Truffaut famously said that it was impossible to make an anti-war film because all war films inadvertently made war look exciting. Truffaut didn’t live to see The Messenger. He would have applauded it.

The Messenger, directed by Oren Moverman, doesn’t feature any on-screen depictions of war. No one gets shot. Nothing gets blown-up. Yet, it deals with the effects of war on the psyche of the soldier as frankly as any movie since Full Metal Jacket. One scene features an emotional re-telling of a bloody war scene. It hits harder than an entire reel’s worth of graphic visuals.

Moverman’s debut film stars Ben Foster as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery. Will is a not just a good soldier, but a veritable war hero, returning to the US because of wounds suffered in action. His serious, unflappable demeanor is an elaborate disguise, masking a hidden vulnerability. As the film opens, we see Will placing eye drops in his wounded left eye. They stream down his face like tears.

The stoic Montgomery would never permit himself to cry, however. But, he is clearly disillusioned with the everyday world he has returned to. He has no family to speak of, and Kelly (Jena Malone), his ex-girlfriend, has moved on and is in a serious relationship with some twerp named Alan (Michael Chernus). Foster is terrific in the role, slowly revealing the painful yearning that hides behind his rough exterior. His army regimented physical and verbal expressions carefully belie a vicious rage threatening to be unleashed.

Montgomery has no coping mechanisms, no healthy way of releasing his pent-up anger. This makes him a strange choice for a Casualty Notification Team, responsible for the delicate task of informing next-of-kin civilians that their loves one have been killed in duty. Will can’t even recognize his own grief, let alone the grief of strangers.

His commanding officer for the task is Captain Tony Stone, played by Woody Harrelson. As strong as Foster is in the lead role, Harrelson owns this movie. From the first time we see him, looking like some terrifying cross between Jack Nicholson in The Last Detail and pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Harrelson radiates a menacing penchant for violence. His blunt sense of humor doesn’t relieve tension, but creates it.

Stone instructs Montgomery on the essentials of the job, treating a seemingly emotional situation with a harsh practicality. For Stone, who never got his war like Montgomery had Iraq, these notifications represent a military operation. And he handles it with all the deliberation and personality of an air-raid. The notifications are tense, harrowing scenes that explode with raw emotion.

No war film has ever been made from this unusual perspective. Avoiding climatic battles, and concentrating solely on war’s irrevocable after-effects, Overman has made a war film that doesn’t even remotely glorify war. Conversely, it shows the struggle of a soldier to pick up the pieces of his life at home, as well as the trauma inflicted on the families of those not fortunate enough to return.

Writer/Director Moverman loses his focus in the film’s second half as Montgomery becomes entangled in a sticky romantic situation with one of the widows he notifies. The widow, Olivia, is played skillfully by Samantha Morton, and the scenes between her and Foster are tender and genuine. But the audience never truly buys their relationship. Certainly, they both find themselves abandoned and alone. But Moverman never establishes what draws them together besides their mutual desperation. Perhaps that could be sufficient in another film, but we care too much about these characters to see them settle for that.

The film is unflinchingly realistic, which serves to develop our emotional connection with Montgomery, Stone, and Olivia. The only music in the film is “source music,” meaning it comes from within the movie: a stereo, a radio, etc. The struggles of a newly returned solider to a home that is strikingly alien are perfectly realized. “The Messenger” strikes only a few false notes, but unfortunately, they stand out in comparison to the rest of the film’s natural authenticity. One occurs when Montgomery and Stone notify a father played by Steve Buscemi. Buscemi is a fine actor, but here, he comes across as just that – an actor, not a father being informed of his son’s death. His reaction is too staged, and seems silly when compared to the terrific job done by the other, lesser-known actors who play the unlucky recipients.

Qualms aside, The Messenger is a unique look at the shattering effect war has not only on soldiers, but on the families they leave behind. Thankfully, the film finds a hopeful, redemptive tone in its final act, allowing for some much needed levity. But Overman’s message sticks with you. Truffaut would be stunned – here is a film that condemns war to its very core.

2012 features a paper thin plot about crazy solar flares in the few years leading up to the year 2012 that somehow turn the neutrinos in the Earth’s core into microwaves that slowly, but steadily start heating up the planet.  This results in earthquakes, tsunamis, sink-holes and other natural disasters.  It’s all pretty dehumanized until these things start to affect Jackson (John Cusack) and Kate (Amanda Peet), a divorced couple with two kids.  Oh, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a bleeding heart, government geologist who advises the president (Danny Glover) on all this, and eventually (spoiler alert!) gets with the president’s wicked hot daughter (Thandie Newton) to replenish the Earth’s population.  There’s a Woody Harrelson part there too.  He plays the crazy guy that predicted all this.

You’d think watching the Earth come to an end would take, what, ninety minutes?  Well, Emmerich thought it deserved two hours and forty minutes.  This ridiculous amount of time is spent listening to horrible one-liners, finger-wagging about global warming and rich countries abusing the poor ones, and watching most of the world’s recognizable locals being destroyed.

If that doesn’t sound too bad, it gets a lot worse two hours in.  I won’t spoil anything since it seems half the globe is flitting to theatres to ensure Emmerich gets another chance to direct something, but you’ll have to take my word on it, this film gets real ass-y.  Bad performances, a bad script, too long, insultingly stupid, that pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter.  Save your money.  Go see The Blind Side.

0.5 out of 4 stars

The premise is like most zombie films: most of the world dies, survivors deal with zombies.  The film is narrated by Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg).  He’s an introverted gamer with irritable bowel syndrome who chooses to spend his weekends at home playing World of War Craft and drinking Code Red Mountain Dew.  His social dysfunctions and phobias actually prepared him quite well to survive in Zombieland.  He has a set of rules that keep him safe, and in his comfort zone.  He begins a trek to Columbus, Ohio, hoping his parents are still alive.  On this trek he meets Tallahassee (Wood Harrelson), a rouch-around-the-edges cowboy, who’s favorite saying is ‘nut up or shut up,’ and is desperately looking for any surviving twinkies.  Colombus and Tallahassee meet up with a sister team, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abagail Breslin) and the motley crew heads to California at the promise of a theme park that’s free of zombies (a plan that’s a blissfully ridiculous as the movie itself).

Eisenberg is the exact same character that he played in The Squid and the Whale, and Adventureland.  And it really works, here.  His peculiarities are endearing and funny.  Stone, who desperately needed to do something to erase The House Bunny from our memories, really did her character proud and shows that she can play a multidimensional character.  Breslin’s childlike enthusiasm that endeared us all in Little Miss Sunshine is starting to wear out its welcome, and the movie drags a bit when plot lines focus on her.  Harrelson is the star of the show, however, hitting all the right notes and exhibiting a more than respectable comedic timing.  Bill Murray graces the screen for a few, show stealing minutes, playing himself, while the four squat at his LA mansion.

All the actors were boosted by a great script written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick which generously allowed the characters to show soft sides, as well as hardasses that find joy in killing zombies in the most creative ways possible,. and mercifully avoiding abrasive one-liners that often bog down similar scripts.  The gore starts at the very beginning of the beautifully shot opening credits and doesn’t stop until even after the closing credits (yes, stick around for a little extra something).  Zombieland provides everything you could want in a film, romance, zombies, comedy, Bill Murray.  Yes, this is a show you should watch.

3.5 out of 4 stars

The story follows Will (Ben Foster), a decorated war hero that came home with a purple heart for saving some friends during an attack in some nameless Iraqi city. Although he’s sent back to the states, he still has a few months left of service.  His superior assigns him to the task force in charge of informing the next of kin of soldiers’ deaths within twenty four hours of the event.  This is a two man job, and he’s partnered up with Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), who is clearly damaged goods (even though he’s never seen any real action).  He’s in quasi-recovery from alcoholism and does things by the book.  The two form an awkward bro-mance and go from family to family informing them of the worst news they’ll probably receive.  Will becomes particularly affected by Olivia (Samantha Morton), whom he informs her husband is dead.

The standout quality of the film is the performances of the three leads.  Foster takes the role to heart and clearly becomes the product of a war gone wrong.  Harrelson also had his work cut out for him, but manages to play a broken man excessively well.  Morton’s performance was much subtler (and smaller), but was just as powerful.  It’s wildly entertaining watching Will and Olivia enter into a sexless, awkward relationship that both fight because, well, her husband just died, and he’s the soldier that informed her of the fact. The conflict is never really discussed, but the actors manage to speak volumes without really saying much.

Moverman’s direction isn’t really that impressive.  Without the talented cast, the movie would have been extremely flat.  Partly to blame for this is the script that Moverman co-wrote with Alessandro Camon (the relatively successful producer responsible for Fur). There was also an uncomfortable amount of humor that Will and Tony find in their job.  Sure, there are tense moments that feel just right, but it feels far too uncomfortable laughing at such a solemn responsibility.  There are some great appearances by people like Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi, and more.  Overall, The Messenger has its moments, but mostly is just another mediocre film about the Iraq war (and who needs another one of those?).

2 out of 4 stars

The film follows an American couple: Roy (Woody Harrelson), and Jessie (Emily Mortimer).  They just spent two weeks helping impoverished children in China.  Roy, being a locomotive buff, insists on taking the 8 day train trip from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express …in the dead of winter.  On the train, they share a tiny, four-person sleeping room with a strange young couple that claims to have been teaching English in Japan (played by Kate Mara and Eduardo Noriega).  There’s something strange about couple–and the fun begins!

Anderson is a master at building suspense.  He takes his time to build up the intensity (in a similar style to Neil Marshall’s The Descent).  I felt like the momentum of the film (as cliche as this sounds) was quite similar to a train: it takes it’s time getting started, but once it’s going at a pretty good clip, the inertia of the film drags you along, and you’ll love it.  Anderson plays on inherent fears of Americans, that I think most everyone will understand.  These include the fear of Russians (I’ve never quite understood the notion Russians=evil, but I suppose being a child of the 80s, I don’t remember that whole Cold War thing), fear of being taken advantage of while traveling (exponentiated by adding the Russian factor), fear of losing a loved one…while traveling, and a lot of other fears we experience–when traveling.

Anderson must have also spent a good deal of time in Russia.  Having lived there for a few years myself, it grates on my nerves to see Russia portrayed so incorrectly, this is the most accurate portrayal I’ve ever seen in a western film.  He pegged the country side, the terrifically cold winters, even the people, down to their babushkas, their tiny villages, to the antiquated Soviet-era transportation, their constant bitching about the ‘better days of the Union.’  While Roy argues that the Soviet Union was a ‘dark, evil place,’ the Russian argues back, ‘that may be, then we were living in the dark, now we are dying in the light.’  I couldn’t have been more pleased with this aspect of the film.  And on the flip side, Anderson never stops poking fun at the ‘ugly American,’ naive, in another country, not really aware of the world around them.  Sometimes it hits so close to home, it hurts.

While at times, the plot is contrived, for the most part, this is suspenseful, taut film, with great action sequences, a great script (co-written by Anderson and Will Conroy), and great acting .  I’m completely confused as to why this didn’t receive a wide release.  Unless you’re lucky enough to have a great art house theater around, you may have to wait for the DVD on this one, but I promise you, it’ll be worth the wait.  Watch the trailer, it does the film justice.

3.5 out of 4 stars

Rottentomatoes: For some weird reason, this isn’t showing up on RT…

Rated R for some violence, including torture and language.