In the Valley of Elah (2007)

Sadly Over-hyped

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Sound: Just simple sound editing and sound track use here. 60/100 Technical: Nice use of cell phone video. Use of simple location sets. 70/100 Narrative: Standard crime investigation film. It moves a little slow and meticulous like a real investigation and Tommy Lee Jones' character does. Flows with logic then we get a twist at the end. 60/100 Character/Acting: Very well acted; Charlize Theron and Tommy Lee Jones draw a lot of sympathy and they both arc well; and in ways we do not anticipate. This is the strong point of the film. 90/100 Did I like it: Yes, my sympathies for the characters and the mystery solving kept my interest. 70/100 Artistic merit: There are better films that deal with the effects of war on soldiers and their families, but looking at these issues in a criminal investigation is a different approach. 70/100 Total score 70/100

You're almost guaranteed a great movie if TLJ is in it. This one didn't disappoint when I watched it last night, over 10 years after it was first released. There's something about him that no-one else has in his ability to portray emotion, when he cries you cry , it's as simple as that. Susan Sarandon is just as good as his loving wife and is so totally immersed in the part that it's hard to believe she's only acting.The movie itself is full of pulsating grief laid out against the heartlessness and cynicism that comes from being a long serving cop. It's a tough menu to pull these feelings together but the director does a fabulous job and the actors play it all to a tee.The director also does a fabulous job of layering the New Mexico scenery and the military culture into the story, it's just magic stuff. Menace and beauty all in the same scene. Can't finish this review without a mention of Josh Brolin, he doesn't figure a lot in this movie but the parts he's in crackle with his talent. One of my favourite actorsIt's a wonderful movie, even after all this time.

In Munro, Tennessee, hard-nosed former military police Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) receives a call that his son Mike is missing after returning from Iraq and soon to be declared AWOL. He and his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) had already lost a son to war. He travels to Fort Rudd, New Mexico. Local police detective (Charlize Theron) is overwhelmed by troubled vets and hazing from fellow cops. Mike's burnt dismembered body is soon found on military property. It becomes a fight over jurisdiction and road blocks from superiors.This is some of Paul Haggis' best work. It's a bleak portrait. Tommy Lee Jones is great at this type of hard-nosed man. Theron's struggles as a working single mom is compelling. The murder mystery is stark. It's not really a whodunnit mystery which makes the ending fitting. The dark take on the Iraq campaign does overwhelm at times especially the reveal at the end. Haggis takes a couple of parting shots at the end that are probably unnecessary. By that time, the point has already been made.

I'm nearly 60 so I'll shoot from the hip on this one. This is a film for adults. Its a film for people who've been through life and its experiences, who've been through wars, and who know a bit about human nature.Its slow, painstaking and often painful. Its realistic, sometimes horribly so. And yet its one of the most thoughtful and intelligent films of recent years. Its not for the whiz kid or the whoopee brigade. But it should be shown at every high school and military academy. At least give the kids some idea of what another reality in the world can be like if adults mess up, when adults mess up.Tommy Lee Jones is superb. Susan Sarandon is exceptional in the restrained playing of her supporting role. Charlize Theron complements TLJ very nicely. But its his movie. Its what he's best at, taking command and getting the job done with a gruff but real sympathy and humanity. I'll be really sorry when he retires.Its easily a 10. I won't say more. I'll let the film speak for itself.