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In the Valley of Elah
Directed by: Paul Haggis
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 121
min.
Release Date:
September 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Trying to rationalize IN
THE VALLEY OF ELAH will challenge your views. Many of them. And this
is the signature of good cinema. We all know that war changes people.
Men go to foreign lands, are ordered to do horrendous things in the name
of “god and country”, and then are supposed to return home to a normal,
happy, healthy life. Nothing could be further from the truth. Director
Paul Haggis (CRASH)
once again shows us a complex issue with morality taking a tailspin.
Based on a true story, In the Valley of Elah is a chilling and
disturbing tale of how some young men are affected by the war in Iraq.
Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones,
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) is awakened one
morning by a disturbing phone call. His son has gone missing ...but not
in Iraq. He’s back home at his army base but hasn’t been seen in days.
Hank — a retired army man himself — kisses his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon,
ENCHANTED) goodbye and heads out to find him. And what he discovers is
numbing and completely irrational.
The mood is set immediately when Hank leaves home and finds an American
flag flying upside down; the international distress symbol for soldiers
in trouble. Why and who did this is never known, but the message is
clear: our boys in uniform need help.
When Hank’s son’s body is found mutilated, Hank turns up his private
investigation skills with the help of Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize
Theron, NORTH COUNTRY). Learning a great deal from each other, the two
form a tenuous friendship based on the discovery of the truth about the
murder. And the truth will flabbergast many viewers ...but in a
thought-provoking way.
The cast of this film is simply phenomenal. Tommy Lee holds the
production to a very high standard, and watching him trying not to burst
into tears is probably one of the more powerful moments in the film.
Also, I didn’t realize that Det. Sanders was Charlize Theron. Minimal
make-up and a tight hairdo (as well as some great acting) made me just
see her character. A special note also must be made for one scene in
particular. And this scene involved Susan Sarandon as Joan, the wife of
Hank and mother of the murdered soldier. This scene was so powerful that
it made me hold my breath. It is when she demands to see the remains of
her son but can only view them through a glass pane that looks into the
morgue (“Is that all? It looks so cold in there. Can I go in?”)
Gut-wrenching!
I applaud director Paul Haggis for making us look at the faults that
surround us. Similar to Crash, this film holds nothing back and forces
us to peer into those places we dare not look. But we must, if only to
see who’s slinging the rock, and who’s the giant that’ll fall.
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Image from In the Valley
of Elah
DVD cost: $19.83
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
Based on a true story of a
soldier, Richard Davis, who, after returning from a tour in Iraq,
disappeared. His father, who spent 20 years in the army, began an
investigation. It turned out that Davis was murdered by four other
soldiers who served with him on the tour.
Movie Quote: "Do
you know what it means when a flag flies upside down?"
Other Actors/Actresses
from In the Valley of Elah
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