In the Valley of Elah


Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jason Patric, Susan Sarandon, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Jonathan Tucker
Directed by: Paul Haggis
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A career Army officer (Tommy Lee Jones) learns that his Iraqi War veteran son (Jonathan Tucker) has returned to the United States, but is missing. He and a detective (Charlize Theron) search for him- and once his body is found- search for his killers.

Review:

Tim: Paul Haggis follows his excellent Crash with another powerful story. While this film doesn't compare to the Best Picture winner, it is still quite good. So many Iraq War movies are being made nowadays, but this is forgiven here, because the war is secondary to a very interesting look at a murder investigation, as well as Army politics. This makes the film quite interesting.

Tommy Lee Jones should be commended for his terrific performance. This is a complicated, troubling performance. He was nominated for an Oscar for this role. Jones is so good because he plays a restrained, in-control man battling overwhelming loss. Plus, he is a big crotchety, which Jones is excellent at playng.

The rest of the cast is very good as well. Charlize Theron is impressive for how unimpressive she seems in the role. She toned her performance down, and blends in with the film. This is an amazing achievement. Susan Sarandon doesn't get much to do, which is disappointing. I also with Josh Brolin, James Franco, and Jonathan Tucker had more screen time. However, this movie is very much about Jones, so it's understandable why he has so much screen time.

In the Valley of Elah is a difficult movie. It deals with an unsavory topic, and from early in the film, we learn this probably won't have a happy ending. The film has some interesting commentary about our soldiers in Iraq, and the struggles they face coming back home. This is told much better than in films like Home of the Brave. Paul Haggis directs a very good film, and Jones gives his typical excellent performance. This is a movie well-worth watching.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Home of the Brave, The Kingdom, No Country for Old Men