ScreenWize

Nominated for two Academy Awards, this dramatic and moving film about friendship and survival follows two men who have to deliver the news of fallen soldiers to next-of-kin. Director Oren Moverman creates a taut story of two men who can only hold their own emotions at bay for so long as they go about their unbelievably difficult work. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster dominate every inch of the screen as their personal experience of war draws them into a strange and moving bond of friendship.

Just returned injured from Iraq, Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) joins Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) in the Casualty Notification Unit of the US Army. Officially required to remain composed and aloof while carrying out their duties, Ben becomes drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton) after advising her of her husband’s death. Dealing with his own war experiences, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and he finds some surprising and humorous comfort in his friendship with Tony. With an Oscar-nominated screenplay and powerful performances from the cast, the film is a warm and compassionate examination of the lives of two men forced to face the world with steely composure.

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Filed Under: Reviews by Simon