Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Messenger


The Chicago International Film Festival has landed in the Windy and will continue throughout the next week. Volunteers receive free passes for movies, so Sam and I are taking full advantage of my volunteer hours. Side note: A full review on the Film Fest will be available when the Fest closes. Believe me, it will be quite the doozy.

So Sam and I ventured to The Messenger one night. A film with Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster playing Army soldiers who deliver the news to families when their soldier has died. I was surprised that the movie didn't focus completely on this. I assumed we'd be going from door to door, knocking and telling families their loved ones are dead. Instead, this movie offers a glimpse into the lives of soldiers who aren't off fighting.

Woody Harrelson does a fantastic job portraying the soldier who never saw much action and just can't seem to walk away from his new family. Ben Foster plays a decorated hero after a terrible accident while he was in combat and is quickly finishing up his time with the Army.

The film focuses a lot on Foster's character, showing viewers a glimpse of life as a wounded soldier carrying around guilt. He does a fantastic job and viewers will quickly fall in love with him. Jena Malone also stars although, I wasn't all that much of a fan of her performance.

This film has already been picked up by a distributor and will be out in theatres within the month, though it might be select.

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