Oren Moverman's The Messenger is a stunning debut, an effective, expertly-made and performed drama about the common human ability to deal with tragedy and loss in unique, unpredictable ways. A film that feels incredibly authentic, The Messenger isn't for the dramatically faint of heart. This is not a "good time" for the family over Thanksgiving, but it would be the most memorable and effecting film that you could see this holiday. With a shocking lack of manipulation, melodrama, or easy lessons, The Messenger says more about honest, relatable humanity than most dramas have this entire year. It deals with unpopular issues without making a hot-button subject overly political and it does so by staying true to its characters, some of the most well-rounded and believable of the year. I believe everyone in The Messenger existed before the first scene and after the last. Those are the rare dramas that really must be seen, even if the subject matter isn't the easiest to swallow.

Giving the performance of his young career, Ben Foster stars as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, a young soldier just returned home from his tour with a few months left in his service. To finish out his time, Will is assigned to the Casualty Notification Office – the men and women who knock on the door of the next of kin when their loved one has been killed in the line of duty. He is partnered with the enigmatic-but-stern Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson, giving his best performance in over a decade and worthy of serious supporting actor consideration). Stone and Montgomery occasionally butt heads and, of course, eventually see a bit of them self in each other, but the development of their dynamic never feels forced like a traditional buddy movie. It's completely genuine, assisted by the perfect chemistry between the two actors.

The Messenger is an extremely episodic film, as we follow, often in unbroken takes shot on a handheld camera, Will and Tony doing their gut-wrenching job. Each visit is a bit different, but Will is struck by the relatively placid response by a newly single mother played by Samantha Morton. He begins to follow her and work his way into her life bit by bit but, once again, not in a predictably "movie way." Will is simply fascinated by how well this woman is dealing with grief as he is unable to deal with the pain he has brought back from overseas.

The performances by Foster and Harrelson are the beating heart of The Messenger but a lot of credit should go the way of Oren Moverman, a director who constantly made the right decision when several were placed in front of him during the film's production. Moverman has a wonderfully genuine style, shooting most of the film as if we are merely a third member of the CNO, learning how to deal with grief along with Montgomery and Stone. And he takes a script with several plot points that could have easily been rendered melodramatic and makes them feel genuine. (Only a late film road trip feels a little forced.) With a lesser cast and not as talented a director, the plot of The Messenger could have turned into a TV movie of the week – "the traumatized soldier and the partner and woman who bring him back to life." But The Messenger never feels false. It's one of the most remarkable dramas of the year.

Rating: THREE AND HALF BONES

Reviewed by Brian Tallerico (MovieRetriever.com Film Critic)