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In the Valley of Elah Posters
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Rating:  -
This is a great contemporary movie based on a true life story. Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron are great as always. The story illustrates what happens to many of our soldiers after returning from Iraq. A must see.
Rating: -
This is a nicely paced, intelligent and well acted movie that gives the three principal A listed actors, Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susana Sarandon ample opportunity to display their remarkable skills. Susan Sarandon, as always, plays a strong supporting role as Tommy's distressed wife. Tommy Lee, in particular, is outstanding in this. His trademark masculinity is perfectly suited to this portrayal of a former soldier in search of his son, suspected at first of being AWOL after a tour of duty in Iraq. Tommy gets to discover the whole truth with the assistance of Charlize's character, a jaded female cop, a good woman struggling with a cuture of apathy and male chauvanism. She makes a few bad calls earlier that dramatically come back to haunt her later on. Her relationship with Tommy is tense at first, but she eventually sees the light and joins with him in his battle to find the truth, notwithstanding resistance from colleagues and the military police who seem intent on a cover up. This is not a cops and robbers type story. It is primarily about the dehumanising consequences of miltarism for the young men who serve. The director isn't forcing his ideas on the viewer, but allowing the story to unfold naturally. There is a particularly poignant piece of symbolism involving the stars and stripes. Earlier in the film, Tommy sees a fellow trying to raise Old Glory upside down after allowing it to dangle on the ground. He gently explains the proper protocol involved in respectfully honouring this proud symbol of the American nation. Towards the very end of the movie, however, and after discovering the truth about his son's dreadful murder, the flag raising is repeated. This time Tommy hangs it upside down as he explain the symbolic meaning of doing so: "It means," he says, "we are in serious trouble and all hope is lost" - or words to that effect. A very special film with similar cadences to Wim Wender's little masterpiece, "Land of Plenty".
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Excellent move, outstanding cinematography. Very well acted by all -- Tommy Lee Jones at his most believeable best. Also very much like the BluRay format which really enhances a great movie.
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Ex MP Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones in one of his best roles) once had two sons. The first one got killed in a war, the second one has gone missing after he returned from Iraq.
Without thinking twice or discussing things with his wife (Susan Sarandon) Hank goes looking for him.
But he is not prepared for the dirty truths that come to light. It doesn't take him long to realize that the young man he is looking for has changed. With the help of a few blurry shots and videos from his son Mike's mobile phone and a local detective (also very impressive: Charlize Theron) he is able to dig deeper into his son's past. Not only has Iraq destroyed a large part of Mike's psyche, it has also changed his life for the worse. Boredom, booze, drugs, strip clubs and more boredom, booze and drugs have invaded the young man's life.
Mike is found, or what is left of him. He was brutally murdered.
In the end the case is solved but the lives of all (including yours) will be changed forever.
I want to point out that for me this was NOT an anti military film. Although the army isn't always shown in its best light, the director Paul Haggis tries to show us a neutral vision on what happens when young men are exposed to the cruelty of war.
True, the army looks a little helpless. Bound by rules and regulations and afraid to lose the trust and support of the American people, they try to protect the soldiers by withholding statements and manipulating the investigation. But that is all understandable.
This film is anti war (and anti racist). No matter where you look, either the Deerfield family or Mike's army buddies, so many lives lost and destroyed all because of war.
It will stay with you forever. The acting is state of the art, camera, directing and script terrific.
With Blu-ray and HDDVD you have the story jumping into your living room - which I believe is what it deserves.
As an extra there is a small heart wrenching storyline involving Mike's ex-girlfriend (who is not in the theatrical version of the movie) and interviews with the co-stars who play the army buddies, most of which have served in Iraq thus knowing exactly what this is all about. My utmost respect goes out to these young men.
Rating:  -
How disappointing. "In the Valley of Elah" turned out to be a piece of anti-military propaganda. The message is that the military takes sweet young men and turns them into drug-addicted, torturing, cold-blooded murders, and then covers it up. Tommy Lee Jones can sure act...I just wish he wouldn't waste his chops on films like this.
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