About In the Valley of Elah (2007)
“Your son is missing.” It’s the phone call every soldier’s father dreads. What Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) had never thought to fear was that this call would come when his son was home in the U.S., on leave from service in Baghdad. Facing military indifference to the disappearance, Hank decides to take matters into his own hands and discover the truth about what’s happened to his son. With the reluctant help of police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron), Hank embarks on a journey that will bring him up against the closed ranks of the armed forces and the harsh realities of modern warfare.
Written and directed by Academy Award ®- winner Paul Haggis and starring three Academy Award ®-winning actors – Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon – alongside James Franco, Josh Brolin and Jason Patric, In the Valley of Elah is the powerful story of one father’s search for the truth.
Starring: Josh Brolin, Barry Corbin, Wayne Duvall, Frances Fisher, Tommy Lee Jones
Directed by: Paul Haggis
Runtime: 121 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
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Review: In the Valley of Elah
Paul Haggis’ In the Valley of Elah tells the story of Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) whose son Mike (Jonathan Tucker) has returned from fighting in Iraq and has gone AWOL. Hank and his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) are naturally concerned and Hank begins looking into his son’s disappearance. Things take a dark turn when Mike’s burnt remains are discovered. Hank enlists the help of Detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) who has the unenviable task of proving herself in a department dominated by men with accusations she has slept her way to her promotions. Hank and Emily clash frequently with the military and with each other in uncovering the truth about Mike’s murder but who is responsible?
More than just a murder mystery, In the Valley of Elah addresses some sensitive themes around the war in Iraq. Hank manages to steal his son’s phone from the military base and has the data downloaded by a tech expert who forwards video footage of the war and the atrocities that took place there. Rather than a heroic crusade, Mike’s videos expose the dark side of the war such as needless killing of civilians and even the torture of prisoners. From the outset, Hank is firm in his convictions about the man his son is and is determined to bring his killers to justice. Questioning fellow soldiers, it seems that Mike and many others were struggling with PTSD after all they had seen in Iraq. Hank even comes to learn his son was taking drugs and the next logical step appears to be a local band of drug dealers are responsible for killing Mike.
The film has strong central performances from Tommy Lee Jones as the tortured father and Charlize Theron as the sometimes tough, sometimes fragile Emily. Seeing the misogyny she has to face at work is appalling but it doesn’t stop her from doing her job and doing it well. Susan Sarandon is sadly underused here but the rest of the cast provide good support. As well as an intriguing thriller this is also a thought-provoking film in demonstrating what a war can do to soldiers and how much they can change for their experiences.
In the Valley of Elah is a solid thriller, backed by good performances and a strong storyline. The additional segments exploring the dark side of the Iraq War and the impact on the soldiers at home adds a lot of substance to the overall narrative. There are no real surprises by the end but even then the conclusion is cold and powerful.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: In the Valley of Elah | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
