“In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
The Shadow of Death
“In the Valley of Elah” is one of the most thought provoking movies you will see this year. It concerns war and its impact as well as the delicate relationship between fathers and sons. Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron are the stars of this film but there is a full supporting cast that gives credence to every role in the story.
Hank Deerfield (Jones) gets word that his son returned to Fort Bragg from duty in Iraq and then went AWOL. He leaves his wife (Susan Sarandon) behind at their home in Tennessee and goes to look for his son. Shortly after arriving at the Base he learns his son has been murdered, butchered and his body set on fire.
Both the Army investigators and the civilian police force appear to want to sweep the murder under the rug but Hank lucks out and convinces a tenacious investigator named Emily Sanders (Theron) to look into the matter. Spurred on by Hank, she refuses to take the easy answers and pursues the murder relentlessly.
Jones is tired and weary as Hank. Deep circles are etched beneath his eyes and his demeanor is of a man who has seen it all and expects nothing to be good. It is an amazing performance and one of Jones’ best ever. You can feel every ache in his joints and every pain in his heart.
Theron has to be one of the very best actresses in the world today. She immerses herself in her roles and makes her image over to fit the performance. As Emily she is buttoned up and dressed down. The only warmth comes in her scenes with her son, and there she is completely maternal.
The role of Joan Deerfield, Hank’s wife, is a small one but Sarandon makes it huge. She is pitch perfect in every scene and makes Joan’s impact heart-breakingly felt throughout the movie. From the way she combs her hair to the way she holds her hands, Sarandon has discovered the pure essence of Joan and brings her completely to life.
Then there are the supporting players – James Franco, Jason Patric, Barry Corbin, Frances Fisher, Josh Brolin and on and on. Each person contributes a small part to the whole, and each makes the movie more and more distinctive.
Director/writer Paul Haggis has proven his talent over and over again. He created the award winning “Crash” and he brings that same style to this film. It too could be in the race for Best Picture. Haggis makes movies that are adult in content and that make you think.
This movie is rated R for profanity, violence and nudity.
“In the Valley of Elah” has stayed with me for many hours since I walked out of the theater, and that for me is a true mark of greatness. This film is political and not political, anti war and not anti war. It deals with the way we handle stress and other problems associated with combat, as well as how fathers deal with sons. It is simple but complex, terrifying but awe-inspiring. But overall it is good, solid entertainment.
I scored “In the Valley of Elah” a biblical 8 out of 10.
