In the Valley of Elah is Academy Award-winning writer/director Paul Haggis's (Crash, Million Dollar Baby) story about Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), a former military MP who goes on search for his son who has gone missing upon his return from Iraq. Jones's performance is quiet, intense, and stunning. But for such a highly-praised writer as Haggis, it is shocking to me how he lets us down in the women's roles. Whether or not the issue is with his writing or directing of Charlize Theron's performance as the detective on the case Emily Sanders I'm not completely decided, but the role of Hank's wife (played by Susan Sarandon) is an utter joke. She does virtually nothing other than play with the phone cord during her virtual seconds of screen time--and that after Sarandon required a beefig up of the part before she'd sign on to the movie. Those issues aside, viewers will probably respond to Haggis's movie along party lines and those heartily sick of the war will eat up this drama about the toll it takes. It's heavy, it's sad, and flaws aside, I liked it.
ReelzChannel Rating: 