The Messenger
The Messenger is nominated for Best Original Screenplay; if it wins, Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon should waste no time chopping the statue in half and handing it to Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. The script is very good structurally, but I would like to have seen more of the notification team at their work, because, as written, the scenes devoted to their reactions isn’t quite proportionate to what they’re ostensibly reacting to.
The dialogue can also verge on speechy at times, the sort of short-story observations that don’t ring true as people talking.
But the writing of the character beats is subtle, and the acting of them is fantastic, so you almost don’t notice the stagy bits. Harrelson in particular kills it throughout. The bit where he starts sobbing around a mouthful of a slider is unexpected, but makes perfect sense; ditto the subsequent cut to Foster in the kitchen, waiting it out.It made me want to see a sequel about what becomes of these two and their odd, jangly friendship.
The conventional wisdom tells us Harrelson won’t win Supporting Actor, and I loved Christoph Waltz’s performance, but I wish they could split it. Didn’t the Oscars used to have ties? Can’t we go back to that?
Sarah 32, Death Race 26; 9 of 24 categories completed
Tags: Alessandro Camon Ben Foster Christoph Waltz movies Oren Moverman Oscars 2010 Death Race Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson has been blowing my mind lately. I know you’re busy with the death race Sars, but you should catch him in Zombieland, he’s terrific.
I loved the end of Woody Harrelson’s recent appearance on the Colbert Report—after he talks about his reasons for having previously avoided “soldier” roles, he agrees to let Colbert shave his head as a show of support for the troops. Which Colbert does, while they sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in perfect two-part harmony. It’s amazing:
http://tinyurl.com/ygr4gpj (the interview)
http://tinyurl.com/ye7y7lp (the singing)
I adore Colbert, and in this case it was appropriate, but he’s got to stop leaning on the Star Spangled Banner crutch. He does it ALL the time.
For me, the best parts of the movie of the movie were the notification scenes, particularly the one with Steve Buscemi. Apparently, Harrelson and Foster weren’t told how the people answering the door would react, and you can tell in how that plays, especially with Buscemi.
Although I liked every nominee for Best Actor this year, I do wish there had been room for Foster. Harrelson was very good, but it was Foster, I think, who carried this film. He did over-the-top quite well in the remake of 3:10 TO YUMA, but here he’s quite subtle. He really is, I think, one of the best young talents around.