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THE MESSENGERMovie Reviews
Drama about a U.S. Army officer, newly returned home from a tour in Iraq, who is assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service. Cast:Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn WalkerDirector:Oren MovermanRelease Date:November 13, 2009DVD Release:May 18, 2010From:OscilloscopeRating:RLength:1 hr 53 min
The Messenger played in key cities to excellent reviews. • David Denby wrote in the New Yorker, "...a fully felt, morally alert, marvellously acted piece of work.... Oren Moverman, directing for the first time, is tremendously talented at handling actors..." • And Tricia Olszewski wrote in the Washington City Paper, "A gripping film about the Army’s Casualty Notification Team." More Reviews Below...
The Messenger Positive Reviews (38 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a wake-up call to those of us for whom the Iraq war has, too often, seemed a numbing series of television images... honors those who fought and died in Iraq..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 437 words, 11/13/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Oren Moverman and co-writer Alessandro Camon have brought a sense of gritty authenticity to this somber, hard-hitting tale that is simultaneously deeply poignant."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 11/20/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Moverman seems able to render the psychological complexities of war and its consequences simultaneously from the inside and the outside."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 864 words, 11/13/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...feels more respectful than real. But similar stories happen every day in this country, and Moverman and his cast make a determined effort to honor them."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 112 words, 11/13/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "This is a writer's picture, no less than a visual experience that approaches its subject as tactfully as the messengers do. No fancy camerawork. It happens, we absorb it."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 845 words, 11/19/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...emotions are used sparingly, with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast -- Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton -- to breathe..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,024 words, 11/20/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...a cliché-riddled script meant to reassure us that military men, even those handpicked for the most delicate missions, are flailing, snarling, tortured jerks."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 11/13/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...after seeing Oren Moverman's beautifully acted film, you'll be better acquainted with some of the most grueling work a human being can be called upon to perform."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 11/20/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "Even when grappling with uneven dialogue (co-written by debut director Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon), Ben Foster is nothing less than mesmerizing."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 11/27/09
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the still centre of the picture belongs to Samantha Morton. Such a wonderfully quiet actor. She plays the widowed Olivia, who receives the news with an eerie calm..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 02/26/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...about the human wreckage of war, and the weight of survival. Harrelson was Oscar-nominated for the showier role, but Ben Foster is the revelation."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 02/25/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a privileged glimpse into people's private pain, a drama shot with the simplicity and immediacy of a documentary."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 11/25/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...delivers what it has to say without sensationalism or political posturing. That restraint, along with the quality of the performances, makes it all the more powerful."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 11/20/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There are powerful moments, to be sure... But for all the film's gritty verisimilitude, it is not the great Iraq War movie that Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker' is."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 11/20/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...touches on an aspect of military life that I imagine appeals to some personnel almost as much as patriotism. It's the team discipline..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 539 words, 11/20/09
John Hartl, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...dares to keep its focus on the variety of responses to disaster. This includes the messengers, who are not encouraged to become emotionally involved..."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 323 words, 11/25/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't debate the merits of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan but rather expresses a basic fact of war: Young people die, and someone needs to tell the families."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 11/27/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's all the more heartbreaking because of its restraint. The only message is that wars come home with the soldiers, both living and dead."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 11/25/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Harrelson gives us layers of hurt under a callous yet needy crust. It may be the best performance of his career and certainly deserves Oscar consideration."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 657 words, 01/29/10
Shaula Clark, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...as Will and Tony wander from house to house, surfing 'a fucking ocean of grief,' their icy carapaces melt, old wounds reopen, and things get interesting."(See all of Shaula Clark's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 146 words, 11/19/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...about the human wreckage of war, and the weight of survival. Harrelson was Oscar-nominated for the showier role, but Ben Foster is the revelation."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 02/25/10
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: OUTSTANDING "A gripping film about the Army's Casualty Notification Team.... a universally relatable drama instead of just another story about Iraq."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 472 words, 11/12/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Moverman seems able to render the psychological complexities of war and its consequences simultaneously from the inside and the outside."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 864 words, 11/13/09
David Denby, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "...a fully felt, morally alert, marvellously acted piece of work.... Oren Moverman, directing for the first time, is tremendously talented at handling actors..."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,044 words, 11/09/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...emotions are used sparingly, with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast -- Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton -- to breathe..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,024 words, 11/20/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: GOOD "Nobody plays angry like Ben Foster, but compassion is something new for the actor, who softens his crazy-man shtick to deliver a complex and moving performance..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 705 words, 02/02/09
Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...gingerly probes wounds that are still healing with admirable empathy and insight.... endeavors to focus exclusively on the home front..."(See all of Justin Lowe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 424 words, 01/30/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...emotions are used sparingly, with the director's restraint allowing the marvelous central cast -- Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton -- to breathe..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,024 words, 11/20/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Moverman seems able to render the psychological complexities of war and its consequences simultaneously from the inside and the outside."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 864 words, 11/13/09
14.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Messenger's reviews are separated by an average 14.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Messenger (38 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Messenger's reviews cover 59.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 17,552 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 462 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Messenger Coverage, Volume & Length (38 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 4 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Messenger's reviews on average broke 4 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Messenger's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Messenger (38 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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