IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH

Paul Haggis Based on a story by: Paul Haggis & Mark Boal Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Jason Patric, Susan Sarandon, James Franco, Barry Corbin, Josh Brolin Distributed by: Warner Independent Film will be released on January 25th 2008 in the U.K. Review by Michael Edwards

rating: 3

In the Valley of Elah is a reference to the place in which David fought Goliath, a neat, or perhaps just trite, metaphor for the numerous social and moral battles that form the undertone for this detective thriller/anti-war critique from Crash director Paul Haggis. The story centres around Tommy Lee Jones, again putting in a magnificent performance as an aged relic of times past, (simpler times when institutions made sense and people were loyal etc), retired army veteran Hank Deerfield who finds out his son Mike has gone AWOL from duty in Iraq. Setting out amid a flurry of guilt Hank goes in search of his son, and finds a disturbing trail of evidence suggesting he was the victim of some serious foul play. The film plays out well, with some great cinematography from Roger Deakins which gives a washed out bleak feel that permeates Tommy Lee Jones' character throughout his heart-wrenching journey. The acting was superb as well, with Charlize Theron providing more-than able support to Jones's Hank Deerfield as the feisty and driven single mother Detective Emily Sanders investigating the case of Hank's missing son. The dynamic of the team, accentuated by their shared parental instincts and strength in the face of adversity, works quite well in maintaining tension, although Hank Deerfield's astute insights come slightly too frequently to be believable and act more as a critique of police bureaucracy and incompetence than as a necessary plot device. Another slightly contrived device is the discovery of Mike Deerfield's mobile phone, full of useful media. On taking the phone to a dodgy IT guy in a van, Hank is informed that the data has been badly corrupted and will take time to sort out - with the result that a video a day is conveniently emailed to Hank. The videos themselves are a clever way to starkly portray scenes of Iraq and the military in action with the poor-quality validity attributed to the medium of digital video, and do genuinely supplement the plot themes. But as plot devices aiding Hank's investigation I can't help but feel that it was slightly too contrived. It would be a mistake to suggest that is just a cool detective thriller with a modish military edge. Like Crash, the the core of In the Valley of Elah lies in its political messages. The effects of war on soldier and civilian alike are decried from every angle, and the aggressive assertions of 'bringing democracy to that shithole' and 'nuking the place and letting it turn back to dust' are calculated to express the frustration and futility of the Iraq war with full force. Subtexts of the ineffectual bureaucracy of the police and military are also rife, indicated by Paul Haggis through a sexism subplot, a bungled case and an attempted cover-up. Though drilled in with gusto, these critiques are not such blunt tools as to leave a bad taste, rather they seem to form a tapestry of despair that Haggis sees underscoring the world today. There is little hope in the message within these tales of woe, and this culminates in a ridiculously hammed-up piece of pessimism which forms the final scene of the film. You have been warned! Overall, the film isn't bad. The stunning cinematography, brilliant acting and moving score give the film a well-rounded feel that finds the perfect tone for the content. The plot, despite is obvious loading with social critique, makes a decent detective thriller. It just lacks the imaginative edge. Nonetheless an entertaining and well-made film.

rating: 3

You can visit the official site here: http://www.inthevalleyofelah.co.uk/