The Messenger (2009/I)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Oren Moverman

Writers (WGA):

Alessandro Camon (written by) &
Oren Moverman (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer. |

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

T.J. Allen	...	Teenager #2
Steve Antonucci	...	Soldier 'Fix'
Angel Caban	...	Mr. Vasquez
Gaius Charles	...	Brown
Michael Chernus	...	Alan
Fabrizia Dal Farra	...	Army Wife
J.D. Daniels	...	Newgarden
Brian Adam DeJesus	...	Teenager #1
Paul Diomede	...	Officer Davis Motorcycle Cop
Fiona Dourif	...	Soldier's Wife
Lisa Emery	...	Faye
Halley Feiffer	...	Marla
Ben Foster	...	Will Montgomery
Peter Friedman	...	Mr. Cohen
Kevin Hagan	...	Mr. Flanigan
Woody Harrelson	...	Anthony 'Tony' Stone
Peter Francis James	...	Dr. Grosso
Jenny Kirlin	...	Ramirez
Sam Kitchin	...	Colonel Bauer
Jena Malone	...	Kelly
J. Salome Martinez	...	Captain Garcia
Samantha Morton	...	Olivia Pitterson
Lindsay Michelle Nader	...	Claire
Tomoko Otsuka	...	Japanese Army Wife
Portia	...	Mrs. Burrell
Patrick Riviere	...	Thrifty Guy
Armand Schultz	...	Dr. Klein
Jeremy Strong
Karen Summerton	...	Flirty Girl
Adam Trese	...	Manfrey
Eamonn Walker	...	Colonel Stuart Dorsett
Merritt Wever	...	Lara
Steve Buscemi	...	(uncredited)
Francine Bianco Tax	...	Reception Pianist (uncredited)
John Thomas	...	Malitia Body Gaurd (uncredited)

Directed by
Oren Moverman

Writing credits (WGA)
Alessandro Camon		(written by) &
Oren Moverman		(written by)

Produced by
Steffen Aumueller	....	executive producer
Gwen Bialic	....	line producer
Nathaniel Bolotin	....	executive producer
Benjamin Goldhirsh	....	producer
Mark Gordon	....	producer
Lawrence Inglee	....	producer
Christopher Mapp	....	executive producer
Zach Miller	....	producer
Shaun Redick	....	executive producer
Glenn M. Stewart	....	executive producer
Matthew Street	....	executive producer
David Whealy	....	executive producer
Bryan Zuriff	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Nathan Larson

Cinematography by
Bobby Bukowski

Film Editing by
Alexander Hall

Casting by
Laura Rosenthal

Production Design by
Stephen Beatrice

Art Direction by
Scott Anderson

Set Decoration by
Cristina Casanas

Costume Design by
Catherine George

Makeup Department
Sharon Burke	....	key makeup artist
Colleen Callaghan	....	hair department head
Joseph Farulla	....	special makeup effects artist
Fabian Garcia	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Luca Borghese	....	post-production supervisor
Carrie Fix	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tim Kane	....	second second assistant director
Scott Larkin	....	second assistant director
Curtis Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
James Bednark	....	art department supervisor
Ian Bell	....	props assistant
Sarah Bricker	....	assistant property master
Olenka Denysenko	....	assistant property master
Gino Fortebuono	....	props assistant
Emily Gaunt	....	charge scenic artist
Vinny Mazzarella	....	property master
Michael Lee Nirenberg	....	painter
Michael Powsner	....	on-set dresser
Mike Reiersen	....	art production assistant
Niquan Riley	....	set dressing buyer

Sound Department
Javier Bennassar	....	sound designer
Javier Bennassar	....	supervising sound editor
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas	....	adr editor
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Caoimhe Doyle	....	foley artist
Brian Dunlop	....	foley editor
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brooke Graeff	....	foley assistant
Anguibe Guindo	....	boom operator
Ken Ishii	....	sound mixer
Robert Jackson	....	adr supervisor
Joe Origlieri	....	sound utility
Gabriel J. Serrano	....	sound recordist
Leslie Shatz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Callie Thurman	....	assistant sound editor
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Mandell Winter	....	dialogue editor

Visual Effects by
John Bair	....	visual effects supervisor
Vivian Connolly	....	visual effects producer
Scott Winston	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Chris Barnes	....	marine coordinator
Blaise Corrigan	....	stunt coordinator
William Cote	....	stunt performer
Christopher Place	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Blades	....	key grip
Michael Burke	....	first assistant camera
Kai Wai Cheng	....	additional grip
Sergei Franklin	....	steadicam operator
John Gatland	....	best boy grip
Lauren Haber	....	second assistant camera
Mike Jackson	....	best boy electric
Daniel Luebke	....	additional electrician
Evan C. Newell	....	assistant camera (as Evan Newell)
Antonio Ponti	....	assistant camera
Guillaume Renberg	....	additional camera operator
Michael Simmonds	....	camera operator
Linda Slater	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Niko Tavernise	....	still photographer
Jason Velez	....	gaffer
Zenfeek	....	genny op

Casting Department
Maribeth Fox	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Corbo	....	wardrobe assistant
Cameron Folan	....	assistant costume designer
Elisa Santiago	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Jason Crump	....	colorist: dailies
Mitchell Ferm	....	digital intermediate producer
Joe Gawler	....	digital intermediate colorist
Agnes Grandits	....	first assistant editor
Alex Kopit	....	assistant editor
Cam McLauchlin	....	digital intermediate editor

Music Department
Julia Bembenek	....	music coordinator
Brian Bulman	....	music editor
Tracy McKnight	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Henry S. Avelin	....	transportation captain

Other crew
John Bair	....	title designer: main titles
Eric R. Bellamy	....	payroll accountant
Katie Brewer Ball	....	paperwork production assistant
Rob Buschgans	....	accounting clerk
Lauren Butler	....	assistant production coordinator
Jen Cox	....	production auditor
Amy Crowdis	....	production assistant
Frank Dauro	....	key production assistant
Katherine DeJesus	....	second assistant accountant
Dann Fink	....	adr loop group director
Duck Grossberg	....	data manager
Jon Haller	....	assistant: director
Jen M. Johnson	....	set production intern
Jared Kaufmann	....	assistant: Mr. Foster
Sonia Kifferstein	....	assistant to producer
Lindsey Lefkow	....	production secretary
Theresa Marsh	....	production accountant
John Merchant	....	assistant: Mr. Harrelson
Zoe Nadel	....	assistant to producers
Tony Osso	....	script supervisor
Greg Outcalt	....	production coordinator
Meredith Petty	....	assistant: Ms. Morton
John Puccinelli	....	background production assistant
Bev Reese	....	production intern
Allison Robin	....	product placement and clearances
Allyson Seeger	....	assistant to producer
Shara Senderoff	....	assistant to producer
Paul Sinor	....	project officer: department of defense
Ryan Smith	....	location manager
Jennifer Sonnenfeld	....	unit production assistant
Sascha Springer	....	assistant location manager
A.J. Swirz	....	location production assistant
Abbey Taylor	....	set production assistant

Thanks
Ben Affleck	....	thanks
Bristol Baughan	....	thanks
Christiaan Faberij de Jonge	....	thanks
Sydney Pollack	....	thanks

Production Companies

• All the Kings Horses
• Mark Gordon Company, The
• Ominlab
• Reason Pictures
• Sherazade Film Development

Distributors

• ContentFilm International (2008) (non-USA) (all media) (sales agency)

Other Companies

• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities
• Sherazade Film Development  funding
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Wildfire Studios  adr recording facility
• Wildfire Studios  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.

Runtime:

Germany:105 min (Berlin International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA

Company:

All the Kings Horses

Study

This movie seems to depict a particular job very specific (if you read the storyline you know what I mean, for all the others who don't want to read spoilers, I will leave it to you to find out for yourself) and very clearly. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster are really great in a movie with a slow pace.

Apart from the slow pace, you will also notice that it shot almost like a documentary. The two main actors have a good vibe going on and their interaction is always great. The unlikely pair work phenomenally together. Some of the stories told seem to be true and the matter is handled very carefully. Whether you like the movie or not, will depend on whether you think the story has enough material to be told. I liked it