A scene from “The Messenger” with Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster. – Photo: Courtesy

An avatar and a messenger

“Avatar”
(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment/Light Storm)

With 30 minutes worth of editing, James Cameron’s cinematic epic, “Avatar”could have qualified as his best movie. More than just a special effects feat for the senses, Cameron gets political, commenting on the destruction of the planet, corporate greed and the negative military mentality.

In the not-too-distant future, paraplegic Marine Jake (Sam Worthington, of the distracting accent) is recruited to take the place of his recently deceased scientist brother on a mission to the planet Pandora. A multi-national corporation has a vested interest in the mission because Pandora is rich in “unobtanium,” the valuable mineral Earth needs for fuel. Under the guidance of the scientist Grace (Sigourney Weaver), Jake walks again in a surrogate body built like the Na’Vi, the native people of Pandora. Through a series of interactions with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the daughter of the Na’Vi’s tribal leaders/power couple, Jake earns their trust and is accepted as one of them.

However, Jake is also being given orders by the square-jawed, GI Joe-minded Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who wants to wipe out the Na’Vi, get the unobtanium and return to whatever Red State he calls home. Pulled in different directions, when Jake realizes that the relationship he worked so hard to establish with Neytiri and her people is at risk, he naturally switches sides. Purposely preachy and mesmerizing, “Avatar” is first-rate entertainment with a message. LGBT (and straight) parents concerned about the PG13 rating should keep in mind that they gave away “Avatar” toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals when the film first opened.

“The Messenger”
(Oscilliscope)

Like Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker,” one of the best and most effective films of 2009, Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger” is a nontraditional war movie. And what “The Hurt Locker” did for its star Jeremy Renner, “The Messenger” could potentially do for Ben Foster. Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Foster) is a model soldier, described by his superiors as a “goddamned hero” after saving several of his buddies in combat. As a reward, he is assigned duty on a casualty notification team, alongside expert casualty notification officer Captain Tony Stone (the ubiquitous Woody Harrelson, who received an Independent Spirit Award for turning in his second admirable performance of the year). Their job is to alert next of kin of war casualties. With three months left to serve, Montgomery stoically faces his new duties, death beeper in hand. His personal life is nothing to write home about. His main love interest Kelly (Jena Malone) is engaged to marry someone else.

There is a visceral intimacy at work in “The Messenger” as we watch the impact that the delivery of the devastating news has on the recipients, including Steve Buscemi as Dale, the father of a fallen soldier, and Samantha Morton as Olivia, a new widow, as well as the messengers themselves. Will takes an unexpected interest in Olivia and her young son Matt (Jahmir Duran-Abreau), aware that he might be seen as taking advantage of a vulnerable widow. Ultimately, “The Messenger” is a film about relationships.

DVD special features include a “Variety” Screening Series Q&A with Harrelson, Foster, Moverman and others; audio commentary; and “Notification,” a doc about U.S. Army Casualty Notification Officers and much more.