The Messenger-could Have Been Better

I had a chance to watch the newly released film The Messenger last night. I heard the title of it only when calling the theater to check on show times for other movies and don’t quite recall seeing a preview of this movie on TV. I knew nothing about it until I gave the back cover a quick read at the video store and found it to have an interesting plot. I assumed it wouldn’t be that bad since Woody Harrelson had a leading role. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that Steve Buscemi had a shining moment in the film for about ten minutes.

Ben Foster stars as a soldier who has been newly recruited to inform families when they have lost someone in the war. Foster and Harrelson fight to stay strong as they confront the families about the death of each soldier. They struggle to prevent themselves from transference, as they are not allowed to show emotion to the families. They have a script they need to go by and must control themselves from saying or doing anything beyond what their job allows. These already traumatized soldiers need to do their best not to take their work home with them.

There are a few moving scenes when you watch the families’ responses to tragedy and it hits home knowing that this happens every day. This aspect of the movie simply tore my heartstrings. Harrelson and Foster had a few bonding moments as they shared their emotions and life experiences. Everything seemed very interesting through the middle of the film. I had to pause the movie a few times to help my daughter to sleep and lost track of how long we had been watching it. I turned it back on assuming that the movie had about forty-five minutes left and all of a sudden it was over!

What is with filmmakers choosing to create what would be a blockbuster hit and changing their mind at the end by chopping it short? This is one of those movies when you say, what? It’s actually over? So much more could have happened at the end to make this movie better. It’s like the filmmaker just gets tired and gives up at the end after all the hard work that was done to create the first three quarters of the film. Boo. The acting in this movie was superb from beginning to end and this seems to be Ben Foster’s claim to fame, at least I didn’t really know who he was before watching this film. If you watch this movie, watch it for the acting and most of the story but don’t expect to know when the end is coming.

Here is a list of movies with great endings. Some are pleasant and some are tragic but either way, this is how you close a great movie and make your audience remember it for years to come.

20 Movies with Great Endings
All movies by Quentin Tarantino (One of my all time favorite directors who has movie endings down to a science.)
Schindler’s List
Lady In the Water
The Sixth Sense
Casino
The Usual Suspects
Avatar
Seven
The Others
American Psycho
The Shawshank Redemption
Leaving Las Vegas
G.I. Jane (Yes, I said it- so what)
Last House on the Left (Most recent)
Primal Fear
Up In the Air
The Truman Show
Psycho
Carrie
Crash

By: Francis David

By: Francis David

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Francis helps people learn about Dish TV Satellite TV, and how they can save money every month with popular Dish Network Packages. Dish has advanced, award winning, Dish DVR and Dish HD receivers, there is a lot of good news to share and also help people determine the right package.