Ben Foster is so good at playing homicidal crazies that it’s disconcerting to discover he’s a quiet, thoughtful guy.In movies like “3:10 to Yuma,” “30 Days of Night” and “Hostage,” the 29-year-old actor has positively reveled in his characters’ malevolence.But in “The Messenger,” opening Friday, he does a complete turnabout, playing Army Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery, a decorated Iraq veteran assigned to spend the last weeks of his enlistment as a notification officer, delivering to civilians news that their loved ones have died in uniform.It’s a lot easier to shed a psycho than a man like Will, Foster said.“It’s been months, and I still don’t know if I’ve shaken off this character,” he said in a phone conversation from Los Angeles. “I just got back from a military base where we screened the movie, and it’s left me pretty raw … especially with the possibility that 40,000 more troops might be leaving soon for Afghanistan. The notification officers are going to be busy.”In Oren Moverman’s drama, Foster’s Sgt. Montgomery is teamed with a career officer (Woody Harrelson), who teaches him the ropes. As with most other aspects of military life, the notification process follows specific rules.In delivering the bad news, officers are expected to stick to a script. They’re supposed to deliver the news to the official next of kin and no one else. They’re never to touch or say comforting words to the newly grieving. They’re not supposed to show emotion while observing the worst nightmare of any family.To get ready for their roles, Foster and Harrelson studied the appropriate protocols with the Army’s senior notification officer. They learned to think just like a soldier assigned to that duty.“There were no rehearsals,” Foster said. “Oren arranged those scenes so that Woody and I would walk up to a door and knock not knowing what would be on the other side. Usually we didn’t even know what actors we’d be dealing with. Sometimes it would be a woman shrieking and crying. Sometimes it would be an angry father attacking us.“No matter what happened, we were supposed to keep our emotions in check and follow the book. But you can’t be human and not feel intense emotions at times like that. As a notification officer you’re not supposed to show that feeling. But of course you’re human, so you can’t always do that.“It was pretty intense.”Whenever possible, director Moverman shot each of those scenes in one long take with a handheld camera. The effort resulted in heart-rending drama. In large part that’s because it’s impossible to separate the acting from the fierce emotions the situations generate.Though it was made with the cooperation of the Army, Foster said he fretted about how rank-and-file soldiers would react. A screening of the film at last month’s Savannah Film Festival reassured him.“There were three soldiers in the audience wearing fatigues. During the Q&A we asked what they thought of the movie, and they said they were grateful that we showed the human being behind the soldier.“It’s complicated. Human beings are complicated, and Will Montgomery has a dark side. But we’re all trying to get at the same thing, military or not, and that’s about learning to connect with each other.“At the end of the day this is a hopeful film. The inevitable experience of loss provides us the opportunity to reconnect, to rediscover love and friendship.”Next up for Foster is “Here,” a road movie about an American cartographer making a new map of Armenia. After that he’ll tackle “The Mechanic,” a remake of a vintage Charles Bronson movie about an aging assassin (Jason Statham) breaking in a cocky young apprentice.

Posted on Wed, Nov. 25, 2009 10:15 PM

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For actor Ben Foster, it's not easy being a good guy in 'The Messenger'

By ROBERT W. BUTLER

The Kansas City Star

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Ben Foster is so good at playing homicidal crazies that it’s disconcerting to discover he’s a quiet, thoughtful guy.

In movies like “3:10 to Yuma,” “30 Days of Night” and “Hostage,” the 29-year-old actor has positively reveled in his characters’ malevolence.

But in “The Messenger,” opening Friday, he does a complete turnabout, playing Army Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery, a decorated Iraq veteran assigned to spend the last weeks of his enlistment as a notification officer, delivering to civilians news that their loved ones have died in uniform.

It’s a lot easier to shed a psycho than a man like Will, Foster said.

“It’s been months, and I still don’t know if I’ve shaken off this character,” he said in a phone conversation from Los Angeles. “I just got back from a military base where we screened the movie, and it’s left me pretty raw … especially with the possibility that 40,000 more troops might be leaving soon for Afghanistan. The notification officers are going to be busy.”

In Oren Moverman’s drama, Foster’s Sgt. Montgomery is teamed with a career officer (Woody Harrelson), who teaches him the ropes. As with most other aspects of military life, the notification process follows specific rules.

In delivering the bad news, officers are expected to stick to a script. They’re supposed to deliver the news to the official next of kin and no one else. They’re never to touch or say comforting words to the newly grieving. They’re not supposed to show emotion while observing the worst nightmare of any family.

To get ready for their roles, Foster and Harrelson studied the appropriate protocols with the Army’s senior notification officer. They learned to think just like a soldier assigned to that duty.

“There were no rehearsals,” Foster said. “Oren arranged those scenes so that Woody and I would walk up to a door and knock not knowing what would be on the other side. Usually we didn’t even know what actors we’d be dealing with. Sometimes it would be a woman shrieking and crying. Sometimes it would be an angry father attacking us.

“No matter what happened, we were supposed to keep our emotions in check and follow the book. But you can’t be human and not feel intense emotions at times like that. As a notification officer you’re not supposed to show that feeling. But of course you’re human, so you can’t always do that.

“It was pretty intense.”

Whenever possible, director Moverman shot each of those scenes in one long take with a handheld camera.

The effort resulted in heart-rending drama. In large part that’s because it’s impossible to separate the acting from the fierce emotions the situations generate.

Though it was made with the cooperation of the Army, Foster said he fretted about how rank-and-file soldiers would react. A screening of the film at last month’s Savannah Film Festival reassured him.

“There were three soldiers in the audience wearing fatigues. During the Q&A we asked what they thought of the movie, and they said they were grateful that we showed the human being behind the soldier.

“It’s complicated. Human beings are complicated, and Will Montgomery has a dark side. But we’re all trying to get at the same thing, military or not, and that’s about learning to connect with each other.

“At the end of the day this is a hopeful film. The inevitable experience of loss provides us the opportunity to reconnect, to rediscover love and friendship.”

Next up for Foster is “Here,” a road movie about an American cartographer making a new map of Armenia. After that he’ll tackle “The Mechanic,” a remake of a vintage Charles Bronson movie about an aging assassin (Jason Statham) breaking in a cocky young apprentice.

Posted on Wed, Nov. 25, 2009 10:15 PM

Buzz Up

Comment (0)

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