PARK CITY — Offering another perspective on the Iraq war’s impact
on returning soldiers, “The Messenger” gingerly probes wounds that
are still healing with admirable empathy and insight. This delicate
subject matter could be a tough sell in a marketplace still averse
to accounts of the conflict, but with a competition slot at the
upcoming Berlin International Film Festival following its Sundance
world premiere, the film could see a pick-up from a dedicated
distributor attuned to the careful handling required for a
theatrical release.Back in the U.S. after surviving a roadside attack in Iraq, Staff
Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is still recovering from his
injuries when his commander assigns him as an Army Casualty
Notification Officer, charged with informing next of kin regarding
military deaths. He’s teamed with the more experienced Captain Tony
Stone (Woody Harrelson), a by-the-book career soldier and
recovering alcoholic who quickly shakes Montgomery down and puts
him right into action.

Facing relatives of the deceased is a stressful and unpredictable
assignment, leaving Montgomery frequently unprepared for families’
reactions. Stone backs him up, though, and gradually the junior
officer develops his own style, which Stone finds too empathetic.

Off duty, neither has much in the way of a social or family life –
Montgomery still sleeps with his now-engaged ex-girlfriend (Jena
Malone) and Stone’s intermittent relationships amount to little
more than one-night stands — and as a result the men gradually
begin spending more free time together. So when Montgomery begins
getting emotionally involved with a slain soldier’s widow (Samantha
Morton), the situation simultaneously challenges his loyalty to
both Stone and the Army.

Already an experienced screenwriter, debut director Oren Moverman’s
intense two-hander endeavors to focus exclusively on the home front
and perhaps avoid the quagmire of issues surrounding other
Iraq-related films. But the war is constantly in the background,
from Montgomery’s combat wounds and frequent episodes of
PTSD-induced rage to Stone’s remorse over never having seen action.

To its credit, Moverman and co-writer Alessandro Camon’s script
effectively foregrounds the characters rather than their
circumstances as they grope toward some form of redemption. Foster
and Harrelson (remarkably aggro and bulked up) are well-paired,
shading distinct zones of the military mindset, but the
consequences of Montgomery’s inappropriate relationship with
Morton’s widow character never gain much traction, making her
almost an afterthought compared to the primacy of the men’s complex
relationship.

Moverman adopts a functional directing style that gives full rein
to the actors’ impressive performances, although the widescreen
image draws unflattering attention to some of the more subjective
Steadicam sequences.