Ben Foster, The Messenger

As he fumbles in his tight jeans and tries to find a lighter for his cigarette Ben Foster, already known for an attention-getting role in HBO’s Six Feet Under, 3:10 to Yuma, and Alphadog, shifts nervously in a W Union Square hotel suite as he talks about what critics say is a breakthrough performance in Oren Moverman’s The Messenger. As an Army notification officer, Foster’s job is to give the worst news any next of kin fears to hear. The often wrenching scenes are buttressed by his relationship with his mentor (Woody Harrelson) and a tentative romance with a war widow (Samantha Morton) (19 minutes).

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