After paying his dues with thankless supporting roles, Ben Foster finally gets to display his leading man chops. What fine chops they are too. Foster oozes confidence on the screen. His natural talent shines through. Here he plays a man given of the duty of informing soldier's next of kin of their demise. Teamed with Woody Harrelson, the pair visit a number of homes. Each one is like some new episode of a fascinating series of shorts. Each family deals with the grief in a different way. It's a great insight into that brief 10 second moment in life where everything changes. It's also hard to capture that gut-punching realization, something this film does very well. Towards the end the film wonders off, becoming a buddy road movie in the vain of Sideways. I felt the wedding scene was unnecessary, but as a whole this should be one of the strong contenders come award season.
Review of The Messenger
