THE MESSENGER

RYAN: “The Messenger” is a new little indie movie from a first-time director starring Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton and one of my favorite actors, Ben Foster.

CAROLINE: Why do you like him so much again?

RYAN: He’s a very intense, subtle actor who I think is totally underrated. And I think he’s hot.

CAROLINE: Ah yes, there’s that.

RYAN: This is a juicy role for him. He plays a soldier who’s forced to work as the dude who goes door to door telling families that their son or daughter was killed overseas.

CAROLINE: Oh, that has to be the worst job ever.

RYAN: Exactly. But it does make for some truly original drama. Those scenes were the best in the film. I actually had wished there were more of them.

CAROLINE: You’re a sadist. Sadly, I didn’t get to see this one with you. What’s the rest of the movie about?

RYAN: There’s just a lot of back story for Ben’s and Woody’s characters, their new, awkward friendship and their baggage.

CAROLINE: How’s Samantha Morton?

RYAN: Good. Doughy.

CAROLINE: [laughs’ She’s a real woman. And such a good actress.

RYAN: Oh wait. Jena Malone is also in it. I’ve loved her since seeing her play young Jodie Foster in one of my all-time favorite films, “Contact.”

CAROLINE: Right, her. I think of her as the girls from “Stepmom.”

RYAN: She goes topless in this and I so wasn’t prepared.

CAROLINE: Are you ever though, really?

RYAN: Not so much. [laughs’]

— BOTTOM LINE —

RYAN: It’s way too long and a bit precious, as to be expected from a first-time director who also co-wrote the screenplay. I’ve all but sworn off war movies but I appreciated the drama in this one, and tolerated it since we didn’t actually have to “go to war.” The performances are great and the announcement scenes ultimately make it worth seeing.

— RATING —