In the Valley of Elah

USA 2007, 116 minutes
Dir. Paul Haggis
Genres: Drama, Suspense/Crime / War

Feat. Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric

Aroview: Calculated military mystery from the director of CRASH, concerning an out-of-touch dad (Jones) searching for his missing son who has gone AWOL after serving in Iraq.

Gorgeously shot and featuring another superbly nuanced performance from the furrowed face of Tommy Lee Jones, this simmering indictment of American military intervention and bureaucratic barriers frequently strikes a nerve, especially when foregrounding the sobering domestic consequences of war. Occasionally undermined by dir. Haggis’s overwrought symbolism and told-you-so sanctimony, but all-in-all a well-executed mystery worth watching for Jones alone.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Good Enough). Showing 1-2 of 2 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) More subtle than Crash, but also less impacting. Jones is easily the best thing about it, delivering an outstanding, powerful performance. ~Wizzums
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2 stars (Good Try) It takes its time and doesn't really catch fire - it needs patience but is watchable. Unfortunately Susan Sarandon barely appears. ~Tubbs