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Ratings & Reviews

The Messenger

(2009)

Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.

R In Theaters 11/13/2009 , 105min.
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Viewer Score
32%
Viewer score based on 169 ratings
78%
Critic score based on 31 reviews

Your Reviews

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February 02, 2011
GDitalia992
This movie was amazing; it is probably one of the best movies that I have seen in a long time. It has so much emotion that you can almost feel what the characters are feeling. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson both give an incredible performance.
June 21, 2010
maloned1
I liked it more then The Hurt Locker. I cared more about these characters. I was emotionally invested. I thought the Hurt Locker was a little cliche. It was good, but not great. I really didn't care about the main character in the Hurt Locker. I felt like it was the same re-hashed story of the soldier that likes war a little to much. But The Messenger takes a different approach to the Shell
June 03, 2010
Jackd1207
BAD! Poor character development, weak story, and poor acting. Want me go on?
December 01, 2009
CalNYOffice
I think this is possibly one of the greatest non-combative war films of all time. Ben Foster's character's struggle between a soldiers duty and his humanity is a tense but beautifully developed conflict that he is constantly struggling with. The cinematographer did a great job showing the isolation of Foster's character through the use of shadows and framing. The relationship between him and
November 08, 2009
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Critic Reviews powered by Metacritic ™

Variety
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 in The Messenger. Full Review
A.O. Scott
The New York Times
No movie can convey the truth of war to those of us who have not lived through it, but The Messenger, precisely by acknowledging just how hard it is to live with that truth, manages to bring it at least partway home. Full Review
Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
The film belongs to Foster. The actor always makes the most of what is handed him, though he's usually required to find his footings around the margins, as he did as the crazed cowboy in "3:10 to Yuma" or the crazed druggie in "Alpha Dog." Full Review
Claudia Puig
USA Today
This heart-rending tale also is a mesmerizing one because of several superb performances, particularly those of Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. Full Review
Justin Lowe
The Hollywood Reporter
Moverman adopts a functional directing style that gives full rein to the actors' impressive performances. Full Review
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