In the Valley of Elah (2007)

While this movie did not really turn out to be what I had expected based on the previews and genre, for whatever reason, I found myself really enjoying it. In the Valley of Elah tells the story of a retired military investigator who tries to uncover the truth behind his son's disappearance after returning from Iraq. I thought it was going to be more of an action film, with a lot of fighting in the Middle East and possibly the rescue of a captive. That did not turn out to be the case, and while there is not a lot of action in this film, by the end, I found myself really invested in this movie. Tommy Lee Jones plays the lead, and while I have found a lot of his more recent work to be a little forced, I think he plays a grizzled veteran with a face lined with pain extremely well. Charlize Theron plays the detective trying to overcome her circumstances and find the truth. It is not all that unique of a role for her, but considering a lot of the other crap she has made since winning her Oscar, her performance in Valley of Elah is impressive. The most sympathetic character in the whole film is the boy's mother, played by Susan Sarandon, who we find out as the story progresses, has now lost both of her sons. The first half of this film is a little slow and seems to be going nowhere, but somewhere in the second hour, it becomes extremely captivating. In the Valley of Elah is kind of a modern version of the film Courage Under Fire. It involves deceit and intrigue in the military, and a group of authority figures that seem more interested in cleaning up a mess than they are in the truth. I wish there had been some opportunity along the way for the viewer to begin to piece things together, but I guess this was not that type of film. This movie pulls at the heart strings more than once, as Tommy Lee Jones begins to uncover what type of person his son had become in an attempt to deal with fighting overseas. I can imagine it would be hard for a parent to realize that his or her deceased child might not have been the best person. In the Valley of Elah is not for everyone. The plot moves methodically and takes quite a bit of time to truly develop. When it does, it is really good, but you have to be willing to sit through a lot to get there. I am not sure if this movie was originally a book, but it seems like it would have been a better read than it was on the big screen. My wife did not watch with me, I do not think she would have enjoyed it, but I liked the film quite a bit, and would recommend it to most people, although not everyone. I give In the Valley of Elah 3 and a half stars.