A yakuza mob leader, Beat Takeshi, is told by his clan's head boss to go to Okinawa to straighten out a war between two factions. Something leaves Takeshi disturbed when he and his men notice that the situation isn't as terrible as they were led to believe and that the two supposedly warring factions appear to be barely fighting at all. A feeling of being set-up comes over Takeshi and his men leading to their excommunication from their clan in Tokyo.

As the Anan clan increases it's grip on the other clan supported by Takeshi, they flee to a beach where they remain safe for a while. But, despite their having fun while wasting away the hours, it's only a matter of time before the path of violence and death will escalate.

I think the film's main strength is the beach sequences in the middle of the film as we watch human beings letting loose and enjoying themselves as they wait for word from their bosses in Tokyo and Okinawa. We see them setting up pothole traps for each other, shooting bottle-rockets at each other, playing a fake game of Russian Roulette, and shooting their guns at Frisbees. They are able, for this short amount of time, to escape the blood-shed and fear of being immersed in yakuza culture. Here is where Takeshi Kitano can provide proof that he is a great filmmaker with an artist's touch showing that these members of a violent organization are human. A constant in Kitano's films is the absurd humorous flourishes which makes his characters unique. We see the explosions of violence followed by the quite close-ups of calm faces dealing with what just happened. We can understand that dying is always on the minds of the yakuza and Takeshi's group are always expecting something to happen. The beach at least provides them temporary solace from what will soon occur..their violent paths in life will come calling for them. You just can not escape who you are no matter how far away you go or the location of where you go..your shadow follows you.

Interesting element in the film also is the love interest provided to Takeshi and how this flirtation with a possible normal life is simply that..a flirtation. The ending shows the final confrontation between Takeshi and the yakuza clan who betrays him because the turf he patrolled and ran was the most profitable. The final statement from Takeshi, I believe, states his yakuza boss just wishes for the madness to end and that it will have to be done alone in a car on some barren, wide stretch of road away from the cities that occupy the violence he has represented for so long.


I recently purchased Sonatine boxed with "The Bind Swordsman: Zatoichi" and just got around to viewing both. I've become a big fan of the Japanese cinema but these are the first Kitano films I've had the pleasure of viewing. I have to admit I'm hooked.

I can't remember the last time I recoiled in shock from a bloody shoot-out and laughed until I cried 15 minutes later. The scene on the beach with the guys in the sumo ring bouncing around like the paper cutouts in the earlier scene is hysterical.

I think I'll give it a couple days and watch it again because there are lots of details I missed the first time around. Definitely a thought-provoking movie.


I was lucky to discover Kitano's famous style in the release of Sonatine and Hana-bi in a small movie theater in Paris. Well, I must say both movies convinced me Kitano is one of the greatest current movie directors.

Sonatine is outstanding in various aspects. Its minimalism, either by the dialog scarcity, the remarkable ellipses, or the protagonist's blank face, convert the movie into a nearly pure cinematographic work, rather than a theater work adapted for the screen. The photography and camera motions can feel somewhat disturbing at the beginning, but this is only because they are unusual. Actually, they serve very well the movie, and the beach scenes are gorgeous. The music is another great score of the movie, it is original and perfectly fits the movie atmosphere when it is cast.

Now, about the plot: I wish there were more movies with such a sense of humanity. The violence-calls-violence topic is not new, but here it is treated a very appealing way. Kitano managed to develop each character enough to make all of them interesting -- and the actors serve this purpose pretty well. The plot shows how human we are all, whatever we do or have done and even when we lately discover the whole value of life. This is an exemplary statement, far far away from high box-office movie standards.

The redemption topic was then told again in Hana-bi, which managed to be an even greater movie. This is possibly the only reason I don't rate Sonatine a 10/10.


Others have commented that the main character in this brilliant film is a burnt-out husk of a man. Although this is certainly true from one viewpoint, I would like to emphasize an alternative perspective.

Murakawa, the gangster, is already one of the "grateful dead." He has been through so much in his life that he is indeed "burnt out," but there is also a good sense to this term. Life's vicissitudes have grounded him in a zen-like serenity beyond concerns about life and death. Life can only draw him out enough to express mild amusement. During a shootout, he stands calmly blazing away, oblivious to the bullets flying around him. It is this divine detachment that makes true "play" possible, as we witness in the playful beach scenes. His personality, or more accurately, his character, is standing on something beyond the phenomenal. He is able to go through the motions of being a gangster, but it is as if he is watching the violent play in which he is involved with a godlike detached amusement. This is much like the character Takeshi Kitano plays in "Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman." The movie is a fusion of gangland action and Buddhist sensibility--a very Oriental gangster flick.

The film is a masterpiece--from the serenity of the beautiful Okinawan landscape to the perfection of the musical score. It reminds me of Yeats' famous tombstone: "Cast a cold eye on life, on death . . . ," but I would revise it to say "Cast an amused eye on life, on death . . . ." The fearsome Hindu death goddess Kali, with her girdle of skulls, has one palm raised in a gesture of "fear not." So it is with the calm at the center of this violent film.


This is an astonishing film. Minimal, avoiding any kind of romanticism to take the edge off the violence, it pushes and pulls you several ways at once. You want to identify with the protagonist and his henchmen, and they can often be amusingly human, but they are also so emotionless and cold-blooded, even concerning their own, that it gives you the chills. You always have the sense of a sophisticated eye in the shots, as if Kurosawa is looking over the director's shoulder. It is an absolutely beautiful work. Takeshi Kitano is a master of the close shot. It seems that almost every moment of violence occurs when the antagonists are within arm's length, even when it is with guns. The showdown in a crowded elevator is a masterpiece of tension mixed with cool hipness. On top of all of this, there is a powerful allegorical subtext about pivot points in life and the necessity of choice. Why aren't more people in the US talking about this film?


The sumo ring on the beach when they imitate the game made of cardboard. I will never forget that scene for the rest of my days. How Kitano ever thought to enter that in the middle of this serious movie is beyond me. I don't know anyone else that has seen this movie and I needed to share. Also the suicide at the end threw me.....why kill yourself after taking all of the assholes out? He could have still retired like he wanted. Was it guilt for the young guy that got killed on the beach? I don't know but I have a feeling that Kitano would want me to answer the questions myself. If anyone has any insight or would like to recommend some other Beat movies let me know.....


Takeshi's third film (after "Violent Cop" and "Boiling Point") seems to of hit the right note in blending quirky humour and sudden violence. He plays a yakuza who is getting tired of his lifestyle,and is considering retirement.He attends a high profile meeting with other gang leaders and finds out his next assignment is to settle a gang war in Okinawa.This is of course,not what it seems, with a hit-man sent over to wipe out Takeshi's gang.This does not quite succeed and a violent confrontation ensues. A beautifully photographed,oddball gangster film which manages to see-saw the viewer's emotions.Beat Takeshi's passive persona always seems to work in this kind of film.


A remarkable film from Takeshi. A lyrical, poetic, visual feast that slowly but surely completely sucks you in. If masters make their art look easy then this is a great example of modern film mastery. Takeshi's shots and dialogue appear so simple and natural that you would begin to believe you could do it yourself with a camera, a beach and a handful of actors. Its unlike anything i have ever seen before, and the soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi compliments the film perfectly. Takeshi's slow, lingering, minimal style could put off some viewers, but if you don't mind the more contemplative camera then you have struck gold.


Kitano at his best, the images are amazing, especially the scenes on the beach. Underneath his harshness Kitano is a poet of human feelings and a world we have forgot. The first 20 minutes are the wildest I can remember in the last 10 years of Cinema. If you understand something, look again 'cause you have not! Salute one of the best directors of the last 50 years.


If you're a fan of edgy, surreal movies this is one for you. The film moves at a very slow pace and sometimes it's hard to follow the dialogue because it subtitled, but in the end it's well worth it. This film centers around a mob lieutenant who suspects he is being betrayed by his boss. He takes flight on the island of Okinawa, meets a girl, and takes an unstable grip on his situation. The people in the film live and die and move like pieces on a chessboard. People appear to cease living and become simply tools of a kingpin and ultimately of fate. Some may be turned off by it's foreign label, but it would be a pity to miss this one.


Tough it is not as good as "Hana-bi" or his latest "Kikujiro's Summer", this film is an enthralling mix of humor, beauty, violence, aesthetic shots, character study and social criticism.

The main character (played by Takeshi Kitano himself) is a lesser yakuza chief, who is called in to help in a gang war. The mission goes wrong, and the remaining team flees into a hiding on the seaside.

In strong contrast to US mafia sagas, where the gangsters are risk-loving playboys or proud clansmen, the normal life of the yakuza is shown bleak, tense and boring. Killing is just a job, between jobs there is constant attention (and no time for emotions), yet the enemy still strikes unexpected. You have pover but, awaiting death, can't enjoy it.

Unusual for a mafia film, about half of it shows the gangsters spending their time in the hiding. Yet these humorous scenes tell more about their psyche than the action part. They show men shrugging at death (pretending Russian roulette for a joke), revealing their fallibilities, not knowing how to fight boredom other than children's plays. And there is love to a woman, too.

This happy time looks like a possible escape. It is ruined by the hitman of the opposing clan, but Takeshi doesn't let the story to run the usual society-is-stronger-than-you way. The main character escapes, and guns down the high bosses in a meeting. But this is not the lone hero plot line of Hollywood, it only serves to free the yakuza and show that he's still hopeless and burnt-out: he shoots himself on the road back to the woman.

A common Takeshi theme is the lack of love in Japanese society (as told straight out by a teacher in "Kids Return"); its replacement with formal behavior, violence/"respect" of the stronger. You can see it in this film, although almost all characters being yakuza makes it less obvious.

And then there are all these beautiful, sentimentalist Takeshi takes, which can make even urban jungles and industrial setting look aesthetic; and the trademark over-long cuts - which are used here to underline the tension of waiting our 'heroes' are experiencing.

All in all, this is a must-see for those not insensitised by Holliwood. If you only look for action, all-too-obvious characters and the plot line in a movie, you'll find "Sonatine" boring.


Of the many Beat Takeshi portrayals of ice-cold men facing death (usually a gun pointed at him), this film has the most impressive (to me). It is the scene when the Okinawa mission goes wrong: the yakuza group from Tokyo is attacked by assassins in a restaurant. The two groups stand up, and go on firing without ducking or hiding until one group (the assassins) has 100% casualties.


Set in the Japanese gangster underworld, Sonatine gives insight into not just Kitanos Murakawa character, but also Japanese culture and behavior, which is quite different from the Scorsese school of western films. Sonatine presents a real story of the mobster tired of a trade he is being squeezed out of by rivals. Kitano is clearly a "less is more" type of actor, but more is shown in his gaze than any other actor, something anyone knowing "Beat" Takeshi's troubled history will understand. Takeshis stand up history also comes across in Sonatines several humorous moments, such as the William Tell sequence on the beach. The cinematography is also absolutely beautiful, nice and simple static shots plus some pretty locations, such as the beach. Sonatine is recommended for its mixture of action, humour and poetically alternative performances.


Sonatine Directed by Takeshi Kitano (Japan) is in a subtle way like Gregory's Girl Directed by Bill Forsyth (Scotland)! They are two of a kind! They are Magic! (e.g. Smashing, Superb, etc...)! P.S. (If I don't like a movie! I don't watch it again! I don't tear it down!)!


Takeshi Kitano strikes with a masterpiece. What starts as typical yakuza flick sees Kitano and co. taking a trip to Okinawa to help out some friends, however these friends don't need any help, and Kitano's group of slackers and newbies accidently complicate the entire situation, forcing the crew to hideout at a little house where they enjoy their vacation until everything erupts and Kitano shows off his Harvey Kietel style.


One of my favourite movies - and many people will probably fall asleep or think: "What's the point?". I can't really tell - except that I like that movie. Wonderful scenes, at times very funny (but mostly smiling-funny, no slapping-laughing-out-loud-funny). Give it a chance to find out for yourself.


It's true that this is not an action movie. And as much as I love all that stuff, this is something so much more affecting. True, I did see this movie on the big screen, which in my opinion, could be the only way to see it. Not for spectacular cinematography, explosions or effects, but because this is one of a rare breed of movie that captures life... -real- life in such a way that you are -there-.

This is a yakuza movie about human beings. Tattooed iron men and sullen street punks, and the violence that defines their life gradually gives way to a sense of renewal of human spirit. Sure, we've all seen those movies about how gangsters laying low at the hide-out get all paranoid and irritable, and as the ugly side of their nature emerges, they manipulate and eventually kill each other. How often do you get to see one about how they all start to loosen up, learn about and begin like one another, and eventually start to act like human beings again?

This is a movie about the time that takes place between all the events in other action movies. Discreet indigenous sounds, and quiet vistas draw you in. The slow parts are as empty of event as they are full of reflective atmosphere, and violence is as sudden, intense, and shockingly brief as reality, and thus has a real weight. All of this almost camoflages the fact that this movie is also full of subtle but brilliant humor. You'll find yourself grinning at the boyish antics of the marooned Yakuza.

Kitano has the tight-lipped charm of all the great leading macho men; a stout, Japanese Clint Eastwood, whose quiet , unflinching exterior conveys his tainted, tired soul. This makes it all so much more worth it when we finally see him smile. That said, while not as acrobatic, Kitano shoots people with all the detached cool Chow Yun Fat wishes he had.

In many ways Sonatine is a totally Japanese piece of work; sparse, simple, unadorned, a little repressed,... and elegantly beautiful beyond all words.

Oh, and if you hate the beach, this movie is probably not for you.


I signed up for this membership to say something after reading all the negative comments on this movie. As Japanese or other Asian mostly unpopular in this country, I guessed that this wouldn't charm almost any one people here. Seems to affect some people though... This kinna represents how unwilling and unwanting to know any other culture and other aspects of life or... how don't understanding it is... about other cultures... Took me about 10 min. to register this site and I kinna assume that people commenting here would be better than the ones who didn't. If you want to see hard boiled action movie or die hard hollywood blockbuster movies, please do not watch this movie. I also love mind numbing endless action movies like the ones played by Mel Gibson, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme. This kinna contributes the marketer who try to suck all the money out of movie goers not telling them what this is really about. Funnily enough this is about life and everything inside it. And about how hard it is to achieve the simplest and smallest thing in the life of one person as it may seem so easy to do so. My best guess is this director doesn't tell you what to do or what to think of so don't be offended if not understood. He is also an ordinary person living and wonderding every aspects of life he is dragged. Just he is trying to be honest expressing himself and I think that's what it caught all other people who are affected in any way. OK. Just think how life could be lovable and intimidating by being itself.


This movie is everything that hollywood isn't. It is a subtle, deep film. There are no dramatic dolly/steady-cam shots. There are no high angle/pan the camera shots. The emotions are all implied by the framing of the scenes and the movement of the characters. In many ways the scenes are like haiku. The economy of the scene is its beauty, the meaning of the scene is a puzzle to be worked out by the viewer.

The night-time car drive to the burial by the sea is a sparse study of the power of simple shapes and simple movement. The sumo scene on the beach is an intriguing look into the relationships of the characters in the film.

Approaching this film like a John Woo film will not work. To understand this film, approach each scene as a fresh peek into the characters, their thoughts and their emotions. Don't expect anybody to say "I'm pissed" or "I'm sad" or "I'm scared". Do try to *feel* the movie and the characters, not by analyzing, but by immersion. Everything in the film is implied subtly and obliquely. But the effect is convincing and powerful.

Of course, to some people all of the above may sound like a pile of horse manure. That's fine, too. To each his own.


Sonatine is a great illustration of the contrast between American and Japanese films. Though the onscreen violence is graphic and sudden, it is rare and always purposed. The film is often quiet and still, with very subtle humor. Beat Takeshi has created an anti-action flick, free of a huge soundtrack and consistent one-liners, whose grace is muddled only by awkwardly translated subtitling. Sonatine is the not the movie the re-release advertising makes it out to be. Not what you'd expect.


Only Roger Ebert and the reviewer for Rolling Stone seem to see the truth here: this film is slow and elegiac because it deals with heavy matters, but it is never boring, not if you understand the situation and the depth of feelings being explored. It's as if reviewers don't get it because they didn't really feel what the film is saying. Saying that there have been dozens of films about how war ruins men so it's a cliché, and that this one is too dreary and slow means that a person has stopped feeling for what is really hurtful, is even in denial. And that's the theme of this film: what happens when we lose touch with what's painful and don't care any more. The film is restrained but powerful, which is why it has such a strong effect.

Jones is wonderfully grim, with a face like a road map, as he explores what happened to his son. Charlize Theron is beautiful even though she is playing a woman who is forced to act as non-sexy as possible to get on in her job in a male police force. Susan Sarandon is not, as some critic said, "underused"; she gives a performance that is all the more powerful because it is restrained. This movie should be a must see for all who believe that the Iraq war should continue until there is an honorable time for America to leave. That time is already passed.


There is a remarkable absence of polemic in this film which elevates it to something mythic...perhaps distills the subject matter to something we should face. No one should be able to fault the performances here, but I was most impressed with the director's careful avoidance of political point of view. It's the opposite of what, say, Costa-Garvas did with "Missing." There are no speeches or lectures, but watching illusions and faith in old systems being peeled away is very powerful. And very, very sad.

We need this film (whether we like it or not). Abu Ghraib happened. And not accepting the moral consequences leads us to a very troubling conclusion.

Tommy Lee Jones is amazing here. Susan Sarandon, in a small part, makes a vivid presence. Charlize Theron seems miscast (would a woman this beautiful and smart be in this job?), but she adds another fine character to her work.

While there is a very interesting texture to the film, that is, cell phone movies are used to move the plot forward, and what we see is not quite clear so we want to find out more, just like the characters in the action, Haggis chose to withhold crucial information from the audience until the end of film. I'm not sure that strengthens the film's structure. We're left with a lot to process in the final moments, and had we known what the central character knew from the beginning, our journey with him might have had deeper resonance, his motives and internal conflicts clearer.

I hope people see this. I know that this war has always divided our nation. But the men and women who fought or fight there need to have this story told. We've made our predicament unfairly theirs. It's a very unhappy thing and congratulations seem out of place. But the filmmakers and performers deserve admiration and our thanks.


This movie is just about perfect. I love how it starts as a genre movie and then transcends into something deeper and soul-searching. Some people just don't like Paul Haggis, but I'm not one of them. I think he's very smart here; he has no political point of view, he handles Charlize Theron perfectly, and the movie forces everybody to think about the troops in a way that isn't simply political rhetoric. I love that Tommy Lee Jones feels the way so many dads do. He's never been better. Watching the police work happen is interesting on it's own, but I like that Charlize Theron is just out to do the job correctly and just shrugs off the chauvinism coming at her from her department. The movie could've gone somewhere with that, but instead just quietly lets us in on it and moves on.

There have been many very good movies the last few years about Iraq-related themes, but I don't think there is a film that captures the feeling of the national mood as good as this one. It's drained of melodrama and just sort of moves forward on really good performances of the whole cast, who all act according to their natures instead of because of stupid plot requirements.


There have been many films about the aftermath of war, but never have I seen such a brutally honest and shocking depiction of the de-humanization of soldiers back from war. This is the underlying premise of the new crime thriller from academy award winning writer/director Paul Haggis (Crash).

Hank Deerfield (played by Tommy Lee Jones) is a retired veteran and military police officer searching for his son who has gone AWOL. A detective Emily Sanders (played by Charlize Theron) becomes interested in the case and starts helping Hank outside of her job. When Hank's son's body is found, the search suddenly turns into a search for the murderer.

One of the many aspects I appreciated was that director Haggis did not turn this into a typical Hollywood crime thriller and also not turn it into a political propaganda piece against the war and President Bush. Instead he mixes the two plots together seamless and subtle, letting you decide for your self.

Tommy Lee Jones gives the best performance of his long career as he plays a quiet, emotionless war vet, but still shows tremendous amount of emotion. Just watching his face as he sits in a diner and listens to one of his retired friends tell him about plans to go visit his grandchildren is heartbreaking. We can almost see the internal emotional struggle as he realizes he will never be able to do that. Charlize Theron does a wonderful job as the detective, and despite her small screen time Susan Surandon plays the grieving wife of Jones to perfection.

This film is such a moving masterpiece on so many levels it is simply wonderful to watch. The quiet pacing of the film building up to the climax is captivatingly intense in its own way. I am sure this will be a popular film at the Oscars this year, and if they gave out awards for best scene this would be sure to garner a nomination for a simple, poignant, yet profoundly moving scene when Frank tells the story of David and Goliath (which took place in the Valley of Elah) to the little son of detective Sanders.


There are many people out there who hate the way Paul Haggis made his directorial debut, "Crash," an overly soapy and stupidly-tied-together drama (at least, that's what it felt like to them). Those people don't have to worry. His second major directorial outing, "In the Valley of Elah," avoids both of the "mistakes" (although I'd hardly call them that, seeing as he won Best Picture for what he did with "Crash") that he made last time around. Instead of mixing together multiple stories and having them all connect at the very end, this movie revolves around one main story, a story that seems a lot like the modern-day war version of "Chinatown." Instead of going for simple emotional tugs that he did with "Crash," this film focuses on its understated performances, namely from Tommy Lee Jones, who is superb in this film. It is truly courageous of Paul Haggis to be willing to make some serious changes to the style that won him a Best Picture Academy Award, and even more impressive that he pulls it off very well.

The story revolves around an ex-military officer, Hank Deerfield, who is told that his son, a soldier returning home from Iraq, has gone missing. Jones plays the character in such a quiet way that makes you feel like he thinks he shouldn't be showing emotion, but has a lot of it bottled up inside of him. When he arrives at the military station, people don't seem to want to tell him what happened, and say that they expect he'll come to the base anytime soon (this is portrayed especially well by James Franco, who you may know as Harry Osbourne from the "Spider-man" movies).

Refusing to believe that it's as simple as that, Deerfield is relentless in getting information out of people as to what really happened. It's the way he functioned in the army, and it benefits him greatly as he has to get any information he can out of people. Enter Detective Emily Sanders (played by a very strong Charlize Theron), who at first just wants to get through her job for the day, but soon gets wrapped up in also discovering what really happened to Deerfield's son. The two of them have great chemistry together, as their two different personalities give two different perspectives on what's happening.

The movie works because although it does have quite a few negative things to say about the current war in Iraq, the entire film isn't a two-hour tirade against it. It only makes that message part of the story, and does it in subtle ways (aka the soldiers don't just go "War...it...destroys...you..." but take a lot more time expressing their emotion). Much of the story works like a mixture between the great film "Chinatown" and a much better-acted, better-written version of a really good episode of "CSI." Although there may be a few too many twists and lies circling about, it comes to its conclusion very well in a satisfying way for the audience.

Paul Haggis has an uncanny way of bringing out great performances from all of his actors. The performance of Tommy Lee Jones could be the best of his career, he brings out a much more emotionally quiet side in Charlize Theron than we've before seen, the short performance of Susan Sarandon is particularly powerful, and all of the soldiers are played with a feeling of sincerity. The acting is probably the strongest element of the film, and if there's any "weak part," it would have to be the way Haggis forced out some of the plot twists to make the film as long as he wanted it to be.

Regardless of its few problems, "In the Valley of Elah" is both a very well-mannered look at the war in Iraq and its effects on the people involved, as well as a very interesting crime thriller. At the heart of it is Haggis's quietly powerful directing style and the cast's powerfully quiet performances. I don't see this picking up a Best Picture nomination as Haggis's past three Oscar hopeful screenplays ("Letters from Iwo Jima," "Crash," and "Million Dollar Baby"), but I would not be surprised to see it pick up a few acting nominations as well as possibly a screenplay nod. If it does...it would have definitely earned it.


The movie uniquely dealt with the mechanism of coping with traumatic experiences. True, it was a war pic. Yes, it had an additional "look what we're doing to our kids" anti-war message (which was driven home in the scene where he's finally leaving his son's barracks and this young, pimply faced kid starts settling in), and yes, it was a murder mystery, but the method in which Haggis portrays the different behaviors the characters exhibit while trying to deal with extremely stressful and traumatic experiences was the main point of the movie.

Haggis drove the point home with careful camera techniques and crafting true-to-life characters. I like the way he kept the camera back at the end of the hallway when Mrs. Deerfield cried into her husband's arms after viewing the mutilated body of her son. He employed a similar method when she broke down and started crying on the phone (Mr. Deerfield: "I'm not gonna sit on the phone and listen to you cry." Mrs. Deerfield: "Then don't")  Deakins has the camera up on the stairs looking directly down on her while she sits hunched over on the floor. It's not that Haggis is "hiding" these moments from the audience  I believe that it is more of a commentary on our disconnection from our own emotions during these moments.

Additionally, Haggis has the actors restrain themselves during the height of when one expects them to indicate the most suffering and when the camera is close enough to expose it, i.e. Mr. Deerfield seeing his mutilated son for the first time, also towards the end when he realizes that his own rigid personality alienated his son from himself and Cpl. Penning's almost robotic, non-remorseful confession of murdering Spc. Deerfield  which was a phenomenal performance  are two good examples. You could see the mountain of emotion being suppressed behind his cold exterior. His confession was so level that it was hard for me to accept the fact that he had stabbed Pfc. Deerfield over 42 times, dismembered his body, then set fire to it. But this is exactly the point Haggis was trying to make  this disconnection from reality; death as a video game with no consequences ("React or die. React or die.") By the way, I think Tommy Lee Jones did an amazing job as well. And that's an understatement.

Further exposés on the aspects of coping include the side story of the soldier who first held down his Doberman in the tub until it drowned and subsequently repeated that action with his wife instead. Spc. Bonner hanging himself for his involvement in the murder of Deerfield. Pvt. Ortiez's full denial of the fact that their squad ran over an Iraqi child ("That wasn't no kid. That was a dog. As far as I'm concerned, that was a dog. I don't know what that picture is."). More importantly, Spc. Deerfield's own methods of coping served to act as the catalyst for the plot. The one moment he had (and the only moment in the movie where tears are actually shown falling) where he tried to reach out to his father ("Dad, something happened. Can you get me out of here?"), he got snubbed. So his ability to cope manifested itself into destructive behavior: doing drugs, bad-mouthing the stripper, torturing the "Haji" militant, picking fights with his comrades  ultimately leading to his demise. All of these characters had their demons to deal with. The point of the movie was how to deal with those monsters. The title, itself, acting as a metaphor to that exact question. The Valley of Elah  where David took his stand against Goliath  was where all the characters of this movie stood in the shadows of their own Goliaths. Some fought (Mrs. Deerfield, Det. Sanders), some stuck their heads in the sand (Ortiez, Mr. Deerfield), and some ran away (Penning, Bonner). Much like the tagline states: sometimes finding the truth is easier than facing it.

I also thought the movie was unique in the angle it took on war: its psychological impact. Excluding such crappy movies like, "Iron Eagles" and "Flight of the Intruder", good war movies have more than an "accomplishing-an-objective" plot type in mind. "Saving Private Ryan", although based entirely around an objective, used the multitude of horrors the characters encountered to highlight their methods of dealing with it. I'd say this movie was more along the lines of "Deer Hunter" or "Jarhead"  where what you see in war plays second fiddle to how you deal with what you see in war.

The only objection I had to the movie (a very moderate one) was originated by my girlfriend, who served in Iraq  I hadn't thought about it until she brought it up. True, the movie is a very small "slice of life" take on our involvement in Iraq (granted, PTSD is a MAJOR aspect of this war  but there are many other facets as well), so it's not entirely unjustified to have ALL the soldiers of this movie be so "f***ed up" from their wartime experiences. However, it would have been nice to see at least one soldier try to cope with his demons in a more constructive way  be it counseling or in some other non-destructive method. When I visited my girlfriend in Germany, during her leave, I came across pamphlets, brochures, and television commercials (on the Armed Services Network) that encouraged infantry men and women to seek counseling in helping deal with PTSD, acclimating to life in the states again, returning to their families, and so forth. Nevertheless, personally, I don't feel that this is too critical of a point to make  Haggis is trying to illustrate a specific notion of the effects of war and shouldn't have to cater to any of the "exceptions to the rule."


'War is hell' but perhaps it is the postwar that is most telling. At least that is the thesis of Paul Haggis' latest film, In the Valley of Elah, a story of a father's quest for his son that reveals some bitter truths about war. Not an easy film to swallow upfront, it is certainly one of the best films of the year.

A grizzled, former military policeman, Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), is notified that his son, Mike, is AWOL after returning from the fighting in Iraq. What begins as a methodical search for his son's whereabouts becomes more tragic and clashes with local police and military brass. Where is his son, and what do his soldier buddies know about one fateful night near their base? And what if anything did happen to him in Iraq? These questions are answered in small pieces and with alarming implications. Hank's skills at police work help convince local Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to take charge of the case despite the doubts of her own colleagues and the military, led by investigator Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric). Mike's PDA has garbled video that begins to paint a disturbing picture of the war front. Hank's search takes an emotional toll on himself and his wife (Susan Sarandon). He and Emily form an uneasy alliance, and, amid theories and suspects, what emerges is an ominous portrait of war veterans on the homefront. Ultimately Hank comes face to face with a disarming truth about his son's fate and the possible involvement of his military brethren.

The story is based on actual events in 2001 in Tennessee, and its title references the mythic tale of David and Goliath set at a time when the rules of engagement were different than the present. Its sparse, simplistic structure of a mystery peppered with flashback video and imagery may seem on surface like an independent film, but its message and execution is on a grander scale and not merely with dialogue. With effective visuals, much is conveyed by silence, expression, or simple body language.

As with other Haggis films, things that seem ordinary and insignificant at the beginning have implications later on. Though not as overtly obvious with connecting a myriad of dots as in his Oscar winner Crash, the threads are all there to gradually weave together. It is refreshing that the jurisdictional conflict between local police and the military does not take a stereotypic turn of heavy handed conspiracy and cover-up even though the military investigators are not cast in the best light. It shares a similar feel with the recent Courage Under Fire where the truth is unearthed in small bits until a bigger picture emerges. A couple of minor plot points go nowhere such as Hank meeting an old comrade who may have connections with military intelligence.

As grandiose and flamboyant as was his Oscarwinning turn in The Fugitive, Tommy Lee Jones' acting here is equally underplayed; he is magnificent. Through the pain and guilt that creep over his lined features, you also feel his suffering, his loss, and understand his bitterness. His Hank is a proud man, a patriot, who wants the truth. The truth ultimately changes him forever. Equally up to the challenge is Theron, in a strong performance, whose detective is a single mother who must battle her own squad and superiors while trying to solve a mystery. Even Sarandon's brief moments are affecting as the long distance wife. The rest of the cast is very good; they become real people.

This is not simply the readjustment to the homefront done magnificently in The Best Years of Our Lives or the heavy use of dramatic love triangle to condemn the Vietnam War in Coming Home. Rather, it takes the concept of a given war and allows it to become the ultimate villain in an increasingly sordid mystery. Its ending calls to mind The Deer Hunter but with a more pessimistic bent. It most certainly vilifies the effects of war on its men.

It is significant that a passing quote, "We all do stupid things," says something about not just the horror of warfare, but what such conflict does to its soldiers, and how they become soulless monsters capable of the most brutal of crimes. This is a brave, imperfect film that sets a somber tone and never lets up. The final image is a statement that makes this perhaps the subtlest of antiwar films ever. Oscar nominations can start here with picture, direction, screenplay, and the duo of Jones and Theron. While not everyone will be willing to let the story unfold with its nuanced direction and understated acting, those who are patient will find a moving tale of innocence lost and corrupted.


I just saw this film and consider it to be one of the best anti-war films I've seen in quite a long time. And that makes me wonder at what the various critics are thinking. Roger Ebert gets it right, but some film critics are far too dismissive of a very serious, important film. James Berardinelli, in particular, seems curiously _angry_ that this film depicts the moral degradation of war in a frank and honest fashion.

Berardinelli is basically wrong in every single thing he says about the film. Since this film is not a "politcal message" film, it has no requirement to "show both sides equally". It is a story about a group of soldiers basically driven beyond the area of traditionally human behavior. Berardinelli thinks that it's "obvious" that war changes the way people feel about their country.

I sense a person utterly detached from history when I read that. A recent study concluded that the English were, as a group, fairly happy during WWII, even when their nation was under attack. Why was that? Because they believed in what they were doing. The notion that war _necessarily_ results in moral breakdown is, while hardly novel, also not true. That is part of what is important about "Elah". Jones' character is a veteran of the Vietnam war, and is hardly a delicate flower when it comes to the matters of war and its effect on the psyche. And yet even he is floored at what the Iraq war has done to the soldiers.

It is easy for a film critic to simply reject what is essentially reporting on the state of the military today. That Berardinelli does so with such vitriol makes me guess that he is injecting his own bias into the review.


Loosely based on the story of Richard Davis who was killed by fellow soldiers in Columbus, Georgia after returning from Iraq in 2003, In the Valley of Elah, Paul Haggis' first feature since his Oscar winner Crash is a poignant reminder of how war robs people of their humanity. In one of the best performances of his career, Tommy Lee Jones is Hank Deerfield, a career military man whose son Mike (Jonathan Tucker) is reported as AWOL from his New Mexico base after returning from eighteen months in Iraq. What Hank discovers in searching for Mike is enough to shake his faith in an institution that had nurtured him and threaten his entire world view.

Though Deerfield is an ex-military man who knows the value of discipline and hyper-efficiency, he is a man who carries the scars of the death of his other son, killed in a military training accident. When he learns about Mike's disappearance, he tries to calm the fears of his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon), but one can sense in the lines of sadness etched in his worn face that he is very worried. In a very prophetic scene, as he sets out for the Army base to conduct his own investigation, he notices that an American flag is flying upside down, a symbol of international distress, and stops to teach the groundskeeper the difference.

At the base, Deerfield is thwarted by the stonewalling of the military and the inept local police force and cannot get anywhere with Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric) who is in charge of the missing person operation. Fortunately, he finds a detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) who is assigned to the case. Taunted by chauvinist fellow detectives who think she slept her way onto the squad, she is eager to prove herself as capable as her detractors. When Deerfield's body is discovered, gruesomely cut up in an open field, Deerfield and Sanders work together to piece together the puzzle, suspecting the involvement of drugs and drug dealers. With the help of video left on Mike's cell phone, however, he discovers secrets that begin to shake his faith in American institutions though he never questions his son's actions.

In one of the most moving sequences in the film, Hank tells Sanders little boy the biblical story of David who killed the giant Goliath with a slingshot in the valley of Elah. Deerfield soon understands, however, that it is not enough to fight your own fears in standing up to an adversary but it is necessary to treat the enemy as a human being while still doing your job. Mike and his fellow soldiers have been unable to erase the ugly violence they perpetrated on civilians in Iraq and have brought this self hatred home. In spite of a too literal ending that robs us of the power of our imagination and borders on the polemic, In the Valley of Elah is a compelling and moving film that makes certain we do not forget what the war in Iraq has done not only to our soldier's bodies but to their minds and souls as well.


I found this movie a letdown. The acting was pale at best. The plot was not sound. The overt political themes weighed the whole thing to a standstill. The last quarter of the movie was just agonizingly drawn out. After four different characters are "fingered" for the murder, one begins to recall old "who-dun-it" films and wonder when Mrs. Marple will be announced.

TLJ portrayal as a retired Army career man was sad. Jones attempts to walk the walk with the stiff behavior and several buzz phrases. Just doesn't pull it off. Active duty military personnel don't "fix" their beds compulsively! (perhaps it is hard to believe, but most are just every day folks.) It was a bad prop used to attempt to craft a character. And it was a silly one to use. Sad, I say, because I honestly believe TLJ is a much better actor than that. Sometimes, you can't put enough talent into a bad script I guess.

Theron's role of the detective is noteworthy. I liked the stance she seemed to make, not calling out her co-workers for obvious sexism, but measuring her disdain for their behavior by the bucket load. But overboard, in my opinion was the tension developed between the law enforcement officers and the military. There is always some degree of friction, but to have some long standing resentment as seen in the movie would require a long established history of issues. We don't see that or even get hints at it here.

Lastly, disgusting is the portrayal of practically every soldier in the movie as some drugged out, burned out, stressed out product of the war. I've served in the military and been to the places mentioned in the movie. Less than one half of one half of a percent of the soldiers I've served and worked with would fit as characters in this movie. Could there not be a single redeeming figure among them? Why did every one of them have to be "criminal" in some way? Finally, when the end did come, like some tooth extraction visit to a low rate dentist, we are inflicted with the image of TLJ raising a flag upside down, and duct taping the lanyard to the staff. The line, if I recall right, was "Oh, that makes it easy." Flabbergasting....


Paul Hagas's "In the Valley of Elah" follows carefully and closely all the long held and well affirmed standards of any good murder mystery. For anyone who really enjoys this Genre you won't be disappointed.

That being said I believe the performances also strengthen this story. Tommy Lee Jones hands in a subdued yet internally complex performance the like I've never seen him do before. He is tough and yet has the sensitivity necessary to drive the character along to where it needs to go. Susan Sarandon gives a strong performance as the mother of a missing soldier. She is placed in the position of an actress having to create a great role from a small part and pulls it off by tapping what must be very heartfelt emotions.

Ms. Theron is good and carries off her part well. She is once again not afraid to look bad in order to carry a role. It is a good performance...that's all. I'm not writing home to Mom over it though. The rest of the cast is very strong and gives me great hope for the future of Film making in this country. The cast works well together and makes a compelling story.

The part of this film that is the Star and center piece is Paul Hagas's script. He sets up the characters and situations in a direct and fast manner. The storyline is consistent and flows well and as I mentioned he follows the correct direction that any good murder mystery should. He also makes us aware of the growing struggles of our soldiers and what is going on as a result of this war in Iraq. Please see this film and look at it for what it is...a good mystery with great performances.


Indeed, a very touching and captivating film!

At first thought, this film flashes out like a 'who dun it' thriller, but it gradually dawns on me that the smoking out of the murderer is of lesser importance than the implied warning its story has to unfold. Nope, don't make hasty judgment t and associate this film to some liberal anti-war hogwash until you have seen it! Frankly, I find this film interesting. It intrigues and boggles my mind from start to finish.

Does this film serve up any biblical significance? Does it have a connection to that Valley of Elah which was guarded by Azekah, and where Joshua defeated the Amorite kings whose army was further destroyed by a hailstorm? And Azekah was supposed to be the last city that fell to the Babylonians  not forgetting that the city of Babylon was once located in the region known this day as Iraq. Or could this film have anything to do with the Valley of Elah in which David battled Goliath during the occupation of Sochoh and Azekah by the Philistines? Sure, I was, at oft times, reminded of the very young Shepherd  very much the same age as Emily's son, David - using a slingshot and five stones, and credibly far from being a good match against the well-equipped Giant!

Tommy Lee Jones fits his role to a tee. As Hank Deerfield, a proud and meticulously organized retired army veteran and patriot, his presence fills screen after screen with emotional persuasion to lead the audience through an astonishingly thought-provoking journey. Hank, in his persistence to find his missing son, commands the audience to look at the realities and repercussions of the contemporary war. As Hank salvages through his dead son's possessions and through his interviews with his son's peers, the story gradually unfolds the situational consequences confronting young soldiers. A scene - with Zoe Karzan's Angie pleading for help from Charlize Theron's Emily while Hank awaits his turn to speak to Emily.- is ever so heart-wrenchingly memorable. The final plight of Angie is also worthy of remembering.

War zones are populated by civilians who could be friends or foes, making soldiers easy targets for the kill! Brave and good soldiers are perpetually faced with having to kill or be killed. And that's the reality each one of them has to live with. But, what if fallen victims are simply innocent civilians at the wrong place, at the wrong time? This film paints a very credible picture of good, brave soldiers tortured by self-guilt and trauma. But do they ever find solace and comfort from their superiors for overcoming their traumatic experiences, psychological problems and mental illness?

It is not difficult to relate all courageous soldiers to the biblical David, left on the battlefields to fight the enemies who seem to have greater advantages. But, is their story like the biblical tale of David vs. Goliath in which victory is sung but failures are being, perhaps, swept under the rug. Doesn't this film make one wonder if there were other youths sent before David to face the Giant at the Valley of Elah and who did die or become maimed without their stories revealed? This film lists several 'David' characters. Are we supposed to think of the many Davids who fought wars, but whose heroic deeds are never individually recorded in history? The awkward scene of Hank telling the bedtime story of David and Goliath tends to support several of my thoughts about this film.

Hank's journey does draw my attention to the importance of recognizing every soldier's welfare over those who egoistically and selfishly honor victories without much ado about the human cost of war and over those who cover up failures. Oh, I do love the character, Emily. Theron presents her character beautifully, surging up my hope and optimism of seeing those who do still abide by their moral conscience and make wise choices and decisions. Susan Sarandon's Joan comes across the screen well to remind the audience of the many unspoken and suffering mothers who have lost sons and daughters to the wars. All the supporting actors, too, have given terrific performances despite their brief, yet very relevant appearances. They superbly fit into the scenes without over-shadowing the performance of the film's antagonist, but to allow him to drive home his messages to the audience. Yep, it's impossible not to give full attention to Hank with every step he undertakes.

It is not hard to capture Hank's disillusion with the War as he uncovers the facts revolving around the distressed or psychologically affected survivors. Has he the right to shove the blame of his son's murder on to others than those who actually commit the acts of murdering? This film succeeds in raising questions on the causes and effects of wars, triggering implied caution and reminder to those harboring hasty wars in heavily populated nations where soldiers risk their lives, only to become displaced persons. Will warmongers be willing to weigh morally and ethically the human costs of wars over the hope for glory and victory? Is victory only associated with those unscathed and unblemished by wars while the maimed, the dead, and the mentally displaced are being swept under the carpets? This powerful film serves up food for thought. Two thumbs up for Writer/Director Haggis. Once again, he has cleverly created a film that tests the audience's thinking process!


Maybe a reason some people are praising the actors' performance highly but not recommending to see the movie is because the actual experience of watching "In the Valley of Elah" is just too unsettling, like a mirror of our actual experience in Iraq (whatever your political views may be).

Notice that although the movie's crime story is solved by the end, it turns out not to involve any conspiracy, the exact reverse of what the story has led us to anticipate (we misread the army official's behavior, assuming the military must be trying to cover up something). We're pulled into the whodunit but we don't get the satisfying twist that crime stories like this usually give us. The young soldier wasn't killed while heroically trying to uncover a dark secret. Instead he dies senselessly and for nothing.

But isn't this experience, this let down while watching the movie, a lot like our real life experience of the past 4 years? We wanted to believe Iraq was somehow linked to the terrible crime inflicted on us, but our early hoped for retribution has instead come up against a completely different reality: no weapons of mass destruction, and a lengthening war no one wants. The David of our hopes marched into Iraq, but the lengthening shadow of Goliath still stands before us.

Terrific movie. Works on so many levels at once, never preachy, never obvious, completely real. I didn't leave the theater feeling great but I felt fully engaged, and I felt like it mattered again to be an American. The people in this movie are, almost every single one, so likable (at least sooner or later they are), and the places are so recognizably American in ways I care about that the movie was an affirmation. Except, of course, the people in this movie - like all of us - are trapped in a war with awful unforeseen consequences, hitting where we live, even if the bombs don't. So the would-be affirmation leads only to sad disappointment and remorse, the more heartfelt for its real-life applicability.

In the movie it's pretty clear that Mike Deerfield is destroyed exactly because he starts out as such a good and decent young man. Besides being brave (getting out of the Humvee to take the photo), he has a heart and a conscience, and therefore couldn't rationalize away his part in killing the Iraqi boy, no matter how unintended. In one sense, Mike tries to be like a David who faces the monster Goliath of war.

But that's the conventional view. The much more disturbing one is that Mike's downfall is rooted in the fact that he himself has become a monster, no matter how unintended. And, sadly, isn't Mike really a stand in for us? In the Valley of Elah the roles have been reversed and America has become the bad guy in some crazy unintended way. Notice that America is clearly the Goliath in power compared to a bunch of rag-tag Iraqis, no matter how murderous some of their intent. Yet we are felled by a small Iraqi boy's fearless stand (why didn't he just run out of the road?!), the boy's implied recrimination shooting for Goliath's heart instead of his head - no less deadly for that.

A fine and decent people are brought low, their best motives twisted around and perverted until they find themselves inflicting barbarity they never thought was possible, just like the father in the movie who can't believe until the end that his son's comrades could be culpable. That's why the father hangs the US flag up-side-down, making the universal distress call: something's gone seriously wrong and we need any help we can find to get out of our Valley of Elah.

The powerful thing about this movie is that we are propelled seamlessly if uncomfortably back and forth across these two understandings of who is David and who is Goliath. The reverberations continue for a long time.


I have no idea what to say about this film. No, that's not true. I have so much to say I just can't organize my thoughts. It's an astoundingly good film about an appallingly depressing subject. After watching this at Santa Cruz CA's delightful Art Deco Del Mar Theater, my spouse and I drove home in silence, and poured a stiff drink before either of us could even begin deconstructing such an astonishing piece of cinema. What to say? What to review? I mean do I talk about the movie or the subject? Movies don't get much better than this but it was a harrowing experience watching it. Don't go when you want an evening of escapist fun. This is not a Friday Night movie. This is a Wet Monday Afternoon movie. Is it only possible to make great movies out of such depressing material? Let's start with the actual movie, directed by Oscar winner Paul Haggis. I'm sure this will be his next nomination. Maybe his next win. It works both as a detective story and a social piece. Every word of the script is perfect, not a word too many, not a word too few. It's perfectly edited and perfectly shot. Synopsis: Soldier returning from tour in Iraq goes AWOL. His father  ex army and ex military police - turns up at his son's base wanting to know what has happened, and the soldier then turns up dead, in small pieces, and apparently cooked. There is a gray area as to whether this is a military or civilian matter, and the father (Tommy Lee Jones) finds himself stuck between an incompetent civilian police force and an edgy and defensive military police force, neither of whom really gives a toss about the truth, the first because truth is too demanding, the second because it's too embarrassing. Why did his son die? Through deciphered cell phone images and gradually disintegrating platoon buddies, father discovers that his son was not the nice guy he thought he was, that he had nasty secrets to hide from mom and dad, like drugs, and a habit of torturing Iraqi prisoners and running over kids.

Tommy Lee Jones gives the performance that will certainly earn him a nomination, and could well get him the Best Actor Oscar. He's an actor I've admired since Men in Black (really! It's on my All Time Favourites list) and in Elah his craggy character matches his craggy face. We feel every ounce of his despair and disillusionment without any histrionics, because the script is spare, and the acting superb. Charlize Theron co stars as the police detective who finds herself dragged into the investigation almost against her will. Despised by her male colleagues who feel she has slept her way to detective status, she goes from traffic patrol to Truth Fairy while juggling life as a single mom. This is certainly far and away the best thing I've ever seen Charlize Theron do. She looks raw and unglamorous and spends a large part of the movie with a Band Aid over her nose after TL Jones inadvertently lands a punch in her face. Susan Sarandon's part is fairly small as TL Jones' wife, but I can see why she wanted to take the role, and her scenes, though few, are stunning and stark. Almost set aside as merely the mother, (whose job, after all, as a mere girly, was just to give birth to and raise her sons. "Couldn't you leave me one of my boys?" she cries in anguish to her husband at one point), she is not allowed into the room where her son's gruesome remains lie (father was) and is expected to be stalwart and supportive, even though dad (TL Jones) set the macho tone for the home, by encouraging both sons to go into the military, where both died. Everyone is good in this movie, the well known and the lesser known. I have seen reviews which suggest it is too long but personally I don't see a thing which could have been cut.

Now the film's subject matter, America's presence in Iraq; this is far more thorny and maybe IMDb is not the correct forum for an in-depth analysis. But personally I'd be happy to see Elah made compulsory viewing in every home. Here's a thought; as a society becomes 'softer' and its sons (and daughters) are taught equality, diversity, emotional intelligence and political correctness all through their formative years, how does that society then train the killers its military wing needs for war? Apparently, by hammering into them some kind of totally over the top hyper macho-ness, which not only melds them into a fighting unit but inures some to normal standards of human behaviour and possibly turns a few into sadists of the nastiest variety. (Or were these guys sadists before they joined the army and got shipped to Iraq?) Then shoving them into a totally unnecessary and unwarranted war where it is impossible to tell who is a friend and who a foe. How do you come from a society that purports to believe every life is valuable, and find yourself running over children playing in the street in case they are the enemy? This movie is said to be based on a real story. If it is, and that doesn't sober us up, nothing will. The only real surprise is that more of them don't go nuts.

One very slight criticism. The murder site looks exactly the same as the murder site in Paul Haggis' Oscar winner Crash. It jarred. I found it a distraction to be saying to myself, "Hey isn't that where they found the body in Crash too?" He needs to find a new location scout.


And with the war still on, the theme of PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - is topical and relevant. Shell shock, they used to call it. It is more than shells these days, of course - it is the killing of children and innocents which has an appalling and destabilizing effect on the young U.S. men and women soldiers engaged in Iraq.

Paul Haggis who has made Crash amongst other good films, tackles this difficult subject with sensitivity depicting the dehumanization of the soldiers who come home to an indifferent populace.

Hank Deerfield (played by Tommy Lee Jones) is a retired Vietnam veteran who investigates the disappearance of his son and comes up against the brick wall of military police. A sympathetic detective, Emily Sanders (played by Charlize Theron) slowly takes an interest in the case and negotiates with her superior officer to take the case back from the military police who want to brush it under the rug. When Mike Deerfield is found, dismembered and scattered, Hank commits himself to getting at the truth.

This film is not an anti-war effort but rather the facts are all presented, and one is left to come to one's own conclusions.

Tommy Lee Jones gives one of his best performances here, a relentless, humourless driven father, who has not been the best father, but doesn't rest until he finds the closure he desperately needs on the matter of the murder of his son.

Susan Sarandon was totally underused in the part of the mother of Mike, but the little we are shown of her is riveting.

Charlize Theron plays down her beauty to the degree that she wears bandages and bruises on her face through many of the scenes and ignores the rampant sexism of her unit. A great performance.

I didn't care for the Valley of Elah metaphor which is at the core of the movie itself. The David and Goliath story did not have a relevance to a story of PTSD and the horrific effects it has on both perpetrators and victims. So I am left puzzled at this symbolism. A little guy taking on a giant? Who would be the little guy? The Iraqis?

However, that vexation aside, for overall tension and the sheer watchability of Mr. Jones in a meaty role, this movie gets an 8 out of 10 from me.

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In what is easily the best film of the year thus far, multi-talented up-and-coming Oscar-winning writer/director Paul Haggis (Crash, Flags of Our Fathers, Million Dollar Baby), brings us this intense, intelligent and subtle drama wrapped around a murder mystery. In what may be his finest performance yet, underrated actor Tommy Lee Jones plays an old, grizzled and retired military police sergeant who receives word his youngest son (Jonathon Tucker - Hostage, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) is missing after being back in the states from fighting in Iraq just two days ago. Jones high-tails it to the military base to get answers, but what he ends up discovering is his son's dismembered body. With the help of a smarty young female police detective (Charlize Theron), Jones starts unraveling the truth behind his son's death. The film although written and directed by Paul Haggis doesn't feel like a Paul Haggis film. Million Dollar Baby, which he wrote, Crash and Flags of Our Fathers were all showy films, but In the Valley of Elah is remarkably subtle. By down-playing the emotions of the actors, Haggis achieves something far more powerful than if he had gone the easy melodramatic route most films centering around our current conflict in Iraq do. Haggis' directing skills have improved, and his screenplay features exceptional dialogue. The acting is all top-notch. Charlize Theron is excellent in her role, and Susan Sarandon does the most she can with a tiny role as Jones' wife. The rest of the cast is solid, but it's Jones who steals the show with a complex, brooding and brilliant performance that should absolutely earn him a Best Actor Academy Award Nomination come Oscar time. All in all, 'In the Valley of Elah' was great minus a few flaws. Many people say the film is too heavy-handed, and I have to agree. The ending was the worst part of the movie, not because of the writing/directing/acting aspect. All three of those components were powerful and moving, the only thing that stunk about the ending was the song choice. We get a heart-wrenching and relevant message at the end to the tune of f__cking whiny Pro-America country music?! Ehh, what's the use in complaining about these small details. For the most part, 'In the Valley of Elah' is an outstanding motion picture that might be on a couple of top 10 lists come the end of the year. You don't want to miss it. Grade: A-


IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH you feel the anguish, the anger and the pain of what this dreadful war in Iraq has done to American families and our soldiers. ELAH is a powerful film from the brilliant Director Paul Haggis that drives home on the screen in a magnificent performance from Tommy Lee Jones the fear a father may have in the loss of his son and how this war is being played out in the small towns of America where a family wonders if a man, or woman, might return home safe, or in a body bag. Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon with a solid cast bring home the horror of Iraq in a film that is today's war in the Middle East. I can only hope that at Kudo time this well directed and written film will find itself on the list of nominated films. Bravo Paul Haggis for giving us another film to root for as we did with CRASH.


(There are Spoilers) One of the most hidden fact about how war effects those who participate in it on both sides of the battle-line is the basis of the film "In the Valley of Elah": Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Based of the true story, shown on CBS' 48 Hours, of the late US Army Specialist Richard Davis "In the Valley of Elah" shows how those servicemen and women who are now engaged in the fighting in Iraq, as well as Afghanistan, suffer more then just from being shot bombed and ambushed by the enemy El-Qeada and Iraqi insurgents. They suffer from their own demons that they were exposed to and took back home with them. Demons that in many ways lead to actions as destructive as those they faced on the Iraqi battlefield.

Former US Army criminal investigator Sgt. Hank Deerfield, Tommy Lee Jones, is called by the MP's at the military base that his son Michael, Jonathan Tucker,is stationed at and told that if his son doesn't show up within 48 hours that he'll be declared AWOl. Hank knowing that something is wrong in that Michael being the gong-ho army man that he is would never leave his unit, here in the safe and free good old USA, this after searing 18 months in the Iraqi war-zone. Arriving at the army base Hank realizes that something isn't right with the way he's treated by Michael's fellow GI's in what exactly happened to him at the time of his disappearance.

Checking out Michael's room, in the army barracks, Hank spots a cell-phone and , knowing that it's off-limits due to an army investigation, slips it into his pocket and takes it back to his hotel-room. Getting a friend of his electronic expert Rick Gonzalez to get the video, on the cell-phone video camera, cleaned up Hank sees the war in Iraq and Michael's, and his fellow GI's, participation in it. And what Hank sees greatly disturbs him.

It's not long after that a badly burned decomposed and dismembered body is found just outside of the Army base. The murder victim turns out to be no other then Hank's long lost son Michael Deerfield! With both the Army M.P's and local police not quite sure under who's jurisdiction the crime scene falls under, the body was found in pieces in both that of the US military and local police zones, the vital evidence in the crime ends up being corrupted due to both sides mishandling it. It's when Hank and local Bradford police Det. Emily Sanders , Charlize Theron, re-examine the murder scene it turns out that whoever killed Michael didn't do that good of a job at it. The badly blotched murder thus eliminates a local Mexican drug gang, who would have done a much better job in covering up the crime, that was the #1 suspect in Michael's murder at the time.

***SPOILER ALERT***Putting all the pieces together Hank as well as Det. Sanders come up with the shocking conclusion that Michael's murder was the result of something that he did earlier that evening. As all the evidence mounts in not just who murdered Michael but what the circumstances were to his grizzly death it becomes apparent that he himself was more responsible for his untimely death then those who inflicted it on him!

War brings the best and worse out of those who fight and suffer in it and in this case it brought out the absolute worst of Michael Deerfield. Michael Deerfield was left a mental cripple when he came back from Iraq, like so many of his comrades in arms, but was not given the treatment, by the US military, that he so desperately needed. Unhinged and with what seemed like a death wish Michaels out of control actions were guaranteed to lead him ether into a mental institution or an early grave. Hank despite denying to himself the obvious, from the cell-phone video he observed, was left broken and destroyed together with his wife and Michael's mom Joan, Susan Sarandon, when the truth finally came out.

P.S Before he was murdered Michael sent his parents a package from Iraq that had deep significance to him and those he served with there. A weathered torn and bullet ridden old American flag. Hank in tears had that memory of the war, that in effect killed his son Michael, flown at the high-school that Michael attended. Fasened to the flag poll with rolls of utility tape, so it well never be taken down, Hank had the flag flying in the universal sigh of distress: Upside Down! The distress that his and Joan's lives turned out to be after their son Michael came marching home from war!


When writing for others (Clint Eastwood, the Bond franchise), Paul Haggis delivers one masterpiece after another. When he stepped behind the camera himself (Crash), the result was good, but still lacking something, and though In the Valley of Elah isn't perfect, it represents a huge step forward in the right direction.

Realizing Crash's multi-story structure was a strength but also a weakness, Haggis goes for a more linear narrative this time, and chooses a rather controversial subject for it: the Iraq war. But it isn't the conflict itself he's interested in - what he really cares about is how it affects people's conception of the world. In particular, he focuses on Hank Deerfield (the Oscar-nominated Tommy Lee Jones, in a role originally meant for Eastwood), a Vietnam veteran whose faith in American values is tested when he learns his youngest son has gone MIA after returning from a tout of duty in the Middle East. With only the boy's cell phone as a clue, Hank begins to look into the case with the help of a female detective (Charlize Theron) and discovers he might have made the wrong decisions when his son's body is found and his wife (Susan Sarandon) blames him for the death of both their children (the other one was killed in combat).

How much have the USA changed since the war in Iraq began? That's the question Haggis tries to answer, but instead of criticizing the armed forces per se, he follows the gradual downfall of Hank's beliefs: early in the film, he chastises a man for hanging the American flag upside down (a gesture that reflects the movie's message: the situation is worse than imagined), only to question his blind trust in society as his investigation comes closer to its harrowing solution. It is Jones' weary eyes and determined voice that carry the picture, and Haggis is wise enough to deviate as little as possible to other story arcs, something he could have avoided altogether: the scenes where Theron is mocked by her male colleagues (Josh Brolin among them) is a tired, totally unnecessary cliché. Furthermore, one might wonder why the director cast a high-profile actress like Sarandon in a rather irrelevant role that doesn't require her to do much but be angry over the phone.

Ultimately, though, there is very little to condemn in a courageous picture that hits its target accurately most of the time, especially thanks to a relentlessly moving central performance.

8,5/10


This film is about a veteran taking matters into his own hands when his son, who returned recently from Iraq, disappeared mysteriously.

"In the Valley of Elah" captivated me throughout the film. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron gave very good performances. I was a little disappointed to see Susan Sarandon's role being so small, but Sarandon did show her acting skills in the short amount of time allocated to her.

The plot is a hybrid of crime thriller and emotional drama. The balance is done well, and I kept wanting more of the plot to unfold. As to the backdrop of the story, Mike Deerfield need not to have been a soldier at all. I guess the filmmakers made him a returning soldier was a subtle message about how war changed people. Mark changed to become a disturbingly cruel person, and his mates was remarkably unashamed about Mark's war crimes. It's a very subtle anti-war message, hidden carefully without being like a propaganda, which is rather unlike the anti war message in "Home Of The Brave".

"In the Valley of Elah" is a powerful film. I liked it a lot.


I'm not sure why many had loathed Paul Harris' relatively recent meteoric rise. I had enjoyed most, if not all of his works that I have seen thus far, with his collaboration with Clint Eastwood nabbing Million Dollar Baby a best picture Oscar in 2005, and his own Crash, which was my movie of the year 2005, winning the same award in 2006. I guess with such success, the naysayers will usually be out in full force to make their voices heard, and I thought it's quite sad to have what I deem as steeling work so oft put down because of green eyed monsters.

Paul Harris continues his run with co-writing and producing In the Valley of Elah. The valley is said to be the spot where biblical boy David met Goliath and defeated him with a sling shot, where other warriors had fallen before. And we all know what happened to David thereafter, with his growing popularity, and assassination attempt on him as well. In some ways, the movie tells of something in parallel, and alongside the many movies on the Iraq War, with the likes of Lions for Lambs, The Kingdom and Rendition, each focusing on different aspects of the same pie. In Elah, it takes quite a different turn. While inspired by true events, that bit of it comes from the experience and standing orders that the soldiers receive in convoy driving within a warzone. The story itself is set in a time with its players back from their active tour of duty, and is an investigative drama rather than a ra-ra mouthpiece on the morality of war.

Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron, both award winning actors in their own right, play the lead roles, and did a great job fleshing out their characters. We haven't seen Tommy Lee Jones on the big screen here for a while, so his presence is a major plus point, catching the thespian in action. He plays Hank Deerfield, an ex-army sergeant who is as hard noses as he is meticulous and disciplined. I guess after years of service in a uniformed group, you can't deny that some of the habits, good and bad, stick to you after discharge. His Hank is one experienced ginger, whose son Michael was discovered AWOL and missing, and he takes it upon himself as any good, responsible parent would, in trying to find out what exactly transpired. In doing so, he would have to rely on his cunning and wit to outsmart the system, and soon realizes that this is no longer the army that he belonged to anymore, with honor and integrity already thrown out of the window.

I suppose when one thinks of Charlize Theron, you can't help but remember her as a very blonde and very beautiful model. I won't be surprised that when she wants to be taken seriously in her roles, she either changes her hair style, color, or just tries to make herself fugly (remember Monster?), in order to fight against preconceived notions that she's just another beautiful face. Like her role in North Country, her Detective Emily Sanders also has to do battle with prejudice, discrimination and the glass ceiling, all these while being a single parent, and assisting Hank in cutting through layers of cover ups, and the determination of red herrings as the cop who requested to be assigned the case.

The chemistry between the two, who start off quite coolly, begin to heat up when they realize that their strength combined would prove to be an asset. Moreover, Hank required somebody on the system to be working it, while the other slowly opened up to the fact that she is here to assist a parent in seeking answers. For many scenes, you can't help but to think through - how would a parent react, or what would parents feel, each time they get confronted with certain pain that has befallen their child, who in their eyes will always be small and vulnerable. Parents sometimes do not know what their kid is up to, especially if the latter so decides to keep it under tight wraps, though whatever the case, they are always angels to the eyes of their parents. A parent's love knows no bounds, and you can see how such genuine concern gets exuded from Tommy Lee Jones' eyes. Partnering him in this aspect is Susan Sarandon in a supporting role as Hank's wife Joan, who has as powerful a scene she shared with Lee Jones in this regard, the stoic courage in the face of the inevitable.

If you're one who's game for investigative army dramas like Courage Under Fire (Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan), The General's Daughter (John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe) and even Basic (John Travolta again, and Connie Nielsen) as I am, then it is without a doubt you will add In the Valley of Elah into your list of mentionables. The slow unravelling of a whodunnit, following the investigator in their seeking of the truth, always bode well with me. And as such, while Haggis this time doesn't overwhelm with too many subplots and focused on the depth of the lead characters so wonderfully fleshed out by Lee Jones and Theron, this one's a winner. Can't wait for Tommy Lee Jones again in the Coen Brother's No Country for Old Men too!


This movie stars three Academy Award Winners at their best; T. L. Jones is simply perfect but Charlize Theron as well is very inspired and delivers an Oscar quality performance. Susan Sarandon's role is marginal but strong too. Plot is quite original for its suggesting war is terrible and wrong, not only because it is unjustified but because it has a corrupting impact on people, especially when they're back and return (try to..) civilization. Paul Haggis (a genius well known after Academy Award winning "Crash") tries to ask and answer provocative questions and his new film disturbs, heats and moves a lot, every character being powerful.


I caught this on cable and had absolutely no preconceptions or expectations, having never read a review or checking IMDb. I saw it had Tommy Lee Jones in the cast, and that made it a must-watch movie for me. At first, it seemed like a gripping crime drama, but quickly started showing its true colours. This is a movie about, not the U.S. Army, but the Hollywood Army; that is, the Army as Hollywood has seen it since the 60's. It takes the stereotypical, screwed-up Viet Nam vet, and puts him on steroids for the new century. Having spend 28 years in the Air Force, and having friends serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fun spots, I have some idea what I'm talking about. Here's what I learned about the "new" Hollywood Army (HA), as opposed to the real, U.S. Army (USA).

- When you retire from HA, if you were a military cop, they let you keep your badge. And active duty ID card. In the USA, they take the badge and give you a retiree card.

- Having spent a career as an HA cop, if you're chasing a Hispanic suspect, you will shout every racial epithet you can think of and then beat him senseless as soon as you catch him. The USA hasn't eliminated prejudice from the ranks, but has done a pretty darn good job of trying. Unless you lived through the barracks riots and de facto segregation of the 60's and 70's, and seen the difference now, you really can't believe how far we've come.

- In the HA, power corrupts, but Army power corrupts absolutely. The HA, realizing there's no easy way to take Nintendo-generation kids and turn them into effective soldiers, strips away their humanity and turns them into stone-cold emotionless killers. So much so any soldier can take a good friend, chop him into little pieces, burn the pieces, and then go out for a bite of fried chicken. The USA is a far cry from the Boy Scouts, but I guarantee that your average soldier has a far straighter moral compass than your man-on-the-street American. Yes, Abu Ghraib happened, but it was an anomaly, not business as usual.

- HA soldiers do drugs. Every last darn one of 'em. It's considered odd to expect that anyone doesn't. They try to avoid hard drugs, at least when outside of a war zone, but otherwise, jokin' and tokin' is de rigeur. In the USA, there are still drugs, but there is on-going program of random testing, and if you do drugs you *will* get caught.

- Returning HA soldiers are ticking time-bombs, just waiting to go off. It's not a question of "if", it's "when". In the USA, there is indeed post-traumatic stress and its consequences, but it's a problem that's treated, not ignored or swept under the rug.

I could go on, but that gives you the gist. On the plus side, Tommy Lee Jones gives a tremendous performance, and for the first time I realized just how good of an actress Charlize Theron truly is. Susan Sarandon is thankfully relegated to a minor role with minimal screen time. The overall message here, however, is despicable. It's an anti-Army, hate America kind of movie. It's amazing that so many reviewers here think this reflects reality. They obviously haven't been in the military, and are probably the kind of people who would cross the street rather than say "good morning" to somebody in uniform. Jihadists everywhere will love it; anyone with a shred of patriotism will find it to be total crap.


Hurray for Hollywood. The same (or at least same type) anti-war, pseudo intellectual morons who attempted to BRAND Vietnam veterans with the Hollywood lies. The same smears, from those who have never served their country, in an attempt to discredit the only heroes we have left, the American Serviceman.

Facts exist, studies have been made, papers have been written, and the facts are in re those who served in Vietnam compared to study groups comprised of those who served in the military, but not in Vietnam and groups of "civilians" that found ways to avoid military service. The Vietnam vet is better adjusted, less mental illness, healthier, wealthier, more productive, and less likely to act like a total butt wipe than the latter groups. The information is available to those that care to know the facts rather than to follow the California nutcases. When studies are made re the veterans of the Middle East and/or Afghanistan, the result will probably be the same.

The American fighting men and women are not dopers, drunks, sadistic baby killing, dog drowning, prisoner torturing retards. No doubt some few go over the line. However if anyone has a question about that, who has never served anything but their own self-interest. they have not earned the right to either ask the question and do not deserve an answer.

Tommy Lee Jones as the grieving father (not an retired officer by the way.. he played a retired sergeant)is as always EXCELLENT... Susan Sarandon as always is not believable... and Charlize Theron is Terrific, as always.. Those playing the friends of Jones's deceased son are typical smarmy Hollywood types, trying to look like soldiers but would probably be better cast in movies like Broke Back Mountain.. I was impressed with Francis Fisher's parts.. no silicon there.

Anyway the movies overall is pretty good, but then some halfwit has to come up with idea of the flying the US flag upside down to show what they think of this country...That ticked me off..

You know these are the same people that live in 30,000 square foot houses with a garage full of gas guzzling cars, a few airplanes, and helicopters, tour buses, Olympic size pools, who think nothing of spending $1000 bucks for a meal they do not eat... and then campaign to get the poor smucks who make %50,000 or less a year to conserve, etc.

The Hollywood morons... they are so out of touch with reality that it is disgusting.... Maybe McCarthy was right and they are all Un-American, communist illegitimate sons of......... well, you know.


Paul Haggis' followup to his Best Picture winning Crash is certainly a bit of an improvement. I'm not a Crash hater, but I'm the first to admit it's far too heavy-handed and sloppy to be considered to be a great movie. And honestly, at its worst, you can feel that old Haggis hackery popping up in Elah more than a few times, most notably in that final shot, which is the worst final shot of a film since John Sayles' Silver City. I also have to giggle at the lame Biblical allegory from which the film gets its title (Elah was the valley in which David fought Goliath), which, try as I might, I cannot get to fit any possible scenario in the film's story. For the most part, though, In the Valley of Elah is an intriguing mystery and a powerful story. Tommy Lee Jones plays a Vietnam vet whose son has gone AWOL. He drives two days to the Army base in hopes of quelling the situation before it gets any worse. Unfortunately, the reason his son is AWOL is because he has been murdered, which is discovered shortly after Jones arrives. Both the military police and the local police (led by Jason Patrick and Charlize Theron respectively) are on the case, but Jones, himself a former MP, decides to do his own detective work. The mystery is well crafted by Haggis and his co-screenwriter, Mark Boal. It is true that, after parts of the mystery are revealed, some parts that you learned earlier don't make much sense. But that's pretty common in mysteries in general, and I didn't feel like Haggis had cheated, although it's entirely possible he's just kind of stupid. There are several very moving moments in the film. Susan Sarandon plays Jones' wife, and, while I usually dislike her as an actress, she brought me to tears in the scene where she learns of her son's death. Jones' performance was nominated for an Oscar, and it's well deserved (although I would have rather seen him get one for No Country for Old Men, where he was even better). I like how Haggis makes him rather unsympathetic at times. Theron is also very good.


TLJ's understated tour de force - of course Daniel Day-Lewis got the 2007 Oscar for showing the world what a great actor he is (and he is, don't get me wrong).

On the other hand, Tommy Lee Jones doesn't show off his acting skills, he shows us a man, a troubled man, a, restrained, some would say uptight individual, a loving but maybe distant father, a remote and quite desperate husband, with all his prejudices and doubts. A performance not to be missed, it won't leave you untouched.

It's a pity that this film probably won't be watched by the general public in the US - it's probably too devoid of outright action to appeal to moviegoers. Still, I feel it's one of the best and most thought provoking war films I've seen.


As a Vietnam veteran with 40+ years of demons to deal with, I found enormous relief in this movie -- no political agenda, no concerns about whether the war in Iraq is right or wrong. Simply a superb characterization of the damage war does to people who experience it. This movie is about no war in particular -- every war in general.

I don't believe it's possible to always avoid armed conflict. But I certainly do believe that it has to be undertaken for the right reasons, with the support of the international community, in such a way that there is no question that we will succeed and with the clear understanding that no matter how justified, there's going to be enormous collateral damage to the people involved. They need to be honored and cared for. My gratitude to the cast and crew of "In the Valley of Elah". Thank you all. I wish more people could and would see your picture.


As this country continues to struggle with the tragedies inflicted upon all who are being singed and scorched by the Iraq War (and that includes every citizen of this country, whether directly or indirectly), films addressing this war are wither avoided by the theatrical audiences or cause flare reactions of judgment. Into this milieu writer (with Mark Boal) and director Paul Haggis places this painful examination of the effects and aftershocks of war in the persona of a father whose only son is reported as 'missing' after he has returned from his tour of duty in Iraq. By keeping the story focused on the effect of the devastation on one man Haggis makes his point all the more clear, and the result is one of the finest documents of the insanity of war that has been released in some years.

Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) has served in the military and encouraged both his sons to serve their country (much against the emotional reaction of his wife Joan - Susan Sarandon): his older son is killed in a helicopter crash and his younger son, recently returned from a year's duty in Iraq, is reported as missing. Hank drives to the base where his son was stationed, learns of his son's death 'by friendly fire' at home, and tries t enlist the help of the military to investigate the affair without success. He encounters a sullen police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) who appears bruised by life in general and by her prejudiced co-workers and military men in particular. Gradually Emily sides with the grieving Hank to explore the horrid details of Hank's son's brutal murder, dismemberment and burning. Despite endless barriers of red tape and military secrecy lead by Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric) both Emily and Hank slowly piece together the truth, using email videos Hank's son had sent him from Iraq, interviews with Hank's son's fellow soldiers, and examination of the body parts of Hank's son. Once the truth is out the effects on all concerned reveal the inevitable permanent scars of war on all concerned. Yet it is the strength of character as revealed in Hank's responses that drive home the pungent message of this difficult film.

Tommy Lee Jones gives the most subtle performance of his fine career as the grieving yet stoic Hank. Charlize Theron once again proves that she can disappear into a demanding role like few other actresses. Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric, James Franco (in a tiny but pivotal role), Josh Brolin, Frances Fisher (in a cameo that is very impressive), and all the young men who play the soldiers involved in the investigation are superb. The film pulls no punches, yet it also refrains from sensationalizing events - as though Haggis realized that the truth was viciously cruel enough without embellishment. Special mention should be paid to the fine musical score by Mark Isham, a pulsating, minimalist background that heightens the effect of the film. This may be a difficult film to watch but it is a necessary experience if we are to constantly re-evaluate our philosophy of war and intervention.

Grady Harp


Retired soldier Tommy Lee Jones learns his son, just back from Iraq, has gone AWOL, and he searches in vain for him, running up against resistance from both the Army and, at least initially, the local police. But unlike most military-crime dramas, he does not unfold some huge conspiracy that reaches to the very top of the command chain; rather, he has to come face to face with a reality that runs counter to what he knows about his boy.

Hank Deerfield is one of those clear-thinking, straightforward, honest characters that Tommy Lee Jones has played time and time again. In short, he's a man who knows what he wants and how to get it, most of the time, and yet here he is baffled by the sudden disappearance of his youngest son, Mike. All he has is Mike's cell phone, which includes short videos shot in Iraq.

Quickly, though, the case changes from a missing-persons situation to a murder, as a burned, dismembered body is found near Mike's base. However, first there's a question of jurisdiction - was Mike killed on the street and then dragged to within the base's property line? No one seems to care much about how Mike came to be where he did; the official stance is that he was the victim of a drug deal gone wrong, perhaps a Mexican gang.

Hank is frustrated, and he feels that there's more to the story than meets the eye. After all, he knows Mike would never be mixed up in drugs or anything illicit; he was a good boy. Could it be that his death was caused by one of the other three soldiers he'd hung around with the night he died? Hank's determined to get to the bottom of it all, if only to preserve the memory he has of his son. He managed to enlist the help of a local detective, Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron), who has to fight through monumental red tape (and the patronizing attitude of her fellow cops) in order to work the case.

In the end, though, it's not about exactly what happened to Mike, it's really a referendum on the insanity of war. What happened to Mike in Iraq? Did he return to the States demonstrably different from when he came? It's very difficult for the straight-shooting veteran (along with his wife Joan, played by Susan Sarandon) to grasp just how different Mike is from the boy who left home to join the armed forces, following in the footsteps of his old man and his older (and now deceased) brother.

This is a mystery that is solved in the end, but it's not a simple explanation; even though the motives and means for Mike's murder are revealed, nothing is really settled; only more, deeper questions on top of questions emerge. This is definitely a point in the movie's favor. A typical murder mystery might be deciphered halfway through, with the protagonist fingering the villain in the third act, and everyone goes on to live happily ever after. This is so far from the case in this movie that it might as well be another zip code. We know who did it, we know why they did it, but we don't know - and Hank can only guess, despairingly - what happened to allow the situation to even occur.

Jones is brilliant as always, and he earned an Oscar nomination as the taciturn Hank Deerfield, a resolute, devout man who is unwilling to believe that which runs against the facts he already has. Hank, a former MP, had also a methodical, insightful investigator in his own right, and his analysis of the developing case allows him to hold out hope that his son's legacy, if not his life, will be kept intact. Theron is solid as the sympathetic detective; a tough-minded, almost distant cop whose own tenacity proves essential to the case. (Although arguably she comes off pretty uncaring early on.) In the Valley of Elah, named for the place where David fought Goliath, works because of the well-cast Jones and an ending that leaves plenty of issues unresolved, to its credit. There's interaction with Emily's son that could have been excised (although it serves as the source for the movie's title), and there's not quite enough interact between Hank (who's investigating, near the base) and Joan (who's still at home, a two-day drive away); true, too, that the stiff-necked bureaucrats are a little too stubborn and uncaring. But Paul Haggis does a good job otherwise of keeping the story on track without revealing too much too soon. Even when the end is in sight, Jones' evocative, empathetic performance keeps us from being too complacent.